Sheryl H Lipman

Biography

Lipman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1984 from the University of Michigan. She received a Juris Doctor in 1987 from the New York University School of Law. She served as a law clerk to Judge Julia S. Gibbons of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee from 1987 to 1988. From 1988 to 1991, she worked at the law firm of Reed Smith, focusing on white-collar criminal defense work. From 1991 to 1995, she worked at Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP, focusing on civil litigation. From 1996 to 1997, she served as Vice President of Comprehensive Services at the Memphis Race Relations & Diversity Institute. She worked at Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC, practicing civil litigation from 1997 to 1999. From 1999 until 2014 she worked at the University of Memphis, joining as Senior Attorney in 1999 and becoming University Counsel in 2002. In this capacity, she was responsible for the legal interests of the University, serving as its primary in-house counsel on all major litigation and provides regulatory advice on a wide variety of issues.

Federal judicial service

On August 1, 2013, President Obama nominated Lipman to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, to the seat being vacated by Judge Jon Phipps McCalla, who is taking senior status on August 23, 2013. On January 16, 2014 her nomination was reported out of committee. On April 11, 2014 Senate Majority Leader Reid filed a motion to invoke cloture on the nomination. On April 29, 2014, a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination was agreed to by a vote of 58-49. On April 30, 2014 the nomination was confirmed by a final vote of 95-0. Lipman received her judicial commission on May 1, 2014, and took the oath of office on August 15, 2014.