Earlier this month, the Sixth Circuit lost one of its longest-serving jurists: Judge Cornelia Kennedy passed away in Michigan at the age of 90. She was appointed to the Sixth Circuit in 1979, assumed senior status in 1999, and recently retired. During her pioneering career, she achieved many “firsts” as a woman in the law – among them, the first woman to be appointed to the bench in the Eastern District of Michigan, first woman to serve as chief judge of a federal district court, and first woman to clerk for the DC Circuit. Her life story and impressive career are chronicled in this article by the New York Times and on the blog of retired federal judge Richard Kopf. Her legacy of opening doors will be long remembered.
