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Sheria Clarke

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Sheria Akins Clarke
Clarke in 2026
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
Incumbent
Assumed office
June 18, 2026
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byRobert Bryan Harwell
Personal details
BornSheria Agape Akins
(1981-11-23) November 23, 1981 (age 44)
Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.
EducationLiberty University (BS)
University of North Carolina (JD)

Sheria Akins Clarke[1] (born November 23, 1981) is an American lawyer who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina since 2026.

Early life and education

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Clarke was born on November 23, 1981, in Lynchburg, Virginia.[2][3] She received a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude in psychology in 2003 from Liberty University and her Juris Doctor in 2006 from the University of North Carolina School of Law. From 2007 through 2009, she served as a law clerk for Judges Ann Marie Calabria and Wanda Bryant of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.[4][5][1]

Career

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From 2024 to 2026,[6] Clarke was a lawyer in private practice with the law firm of Nelson Mullins in Greenville, where she focused on regulatory law, white collar criminal defense, and government investigations.[5] She previously served as counsel for the United States House Committee on Ethics, and then as Counsel on the Select Committee on Benghazi.[7] She was then a prosecutor in the United States Department of Justice[4][5], and she specialized in False Claims Act litigation and whistleblower investigations. She has also worked as an adjunct professor of government at Wofford College in Spartanburg.[5][1]

Federal judicial service

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In 2025, Clarke was recommended to the White House Counsel's office by U.S. Senator Tim Scott and former Congressman Trey Gowdy.[8] On February 12, 2026, President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Clarke to the seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina vacated by Judge Robert Bryan Harwell.[4] On April 30, 2026, the Judiciary Committee reported her nomination to the floor on a 15–7 vote. On May 19, 2026, the Senate invoked cloture with a 57–38 vote. On the same day the Senate confirmed her by a 52–38 vote.[9] She received her judicial commission on June 18, 2026.[10]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Clarke, Sheria Akins (February 18, 2026). "Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire" (PDF). www.judiciary.senate.gov. Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  2. ↑ "BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Sheria Clarke, staff director for House Oversight and Government Reform Committee". POLITICO. November 23, 2018.
  3. ↑ Monk, John (March 26, 2026). "Trump's SC judge nominee takes fire, praise in Senate hearing". www.thestate.com. The State. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Truth Social". Truth Social.
  5. 1 2 3 4 LLP, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. "Nelson Mullins - Sheria Clarke". Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.
  6. ↑ Carpentier, Bella. "Trump nominates Greenville attorney to SC federal court bench". The Greenville News.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Senate: Request not Accepted - Security Risk Detected". www.senate.gov.
  8. ↑ "Republican Recommends Trump Tap Black Female Litigator for Bench". January 16, 2026.
  9. ↑ "PN851-1 - Nomination of Sheria Akins Clarke for The Judiciary, 119th Congress (2025-2026)". www.congress.gov. May 18, 2026.
  10. ↑ Sheria Clarke at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
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