Kristen Clarke
Kristen M. Clarke (born 1975) is an American attorney who has served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the United States Department of Justice since May 2021. Clarke previously served as president of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. She also managed the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General's Office under Eric Schneiderman. In 2019, Clarke successfully represented Taylor Dumpson, the first African American woman student body president of American University, in her landmark case against white supremacists.
Kristen Clarke | |
|---|---|
| United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division | |
| Assumed office May 25, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Eric Dreiband |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1975 (age 48–49) |
| Education | Harvard University (AB) Columbia University (JD) |
President Joe Biden in 2021 selected Clarke to head the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination on May 25, 2021, by a vote of 51–48. Clarke made history as the first woman to be confirmed to lead the Civil Rights Division after she was sworn in the same day.