Shira Ann Scheindlin (née Joffe; born August 16, 1946 ) is an American attorney and jurist who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She is currently of counsel at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP.

Early life and education

Scheindlin was born in Washington, D.C. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Far Eastern studies from the University of Michigan (1967), a Master of Arts in history from Columbia University (1969), and a Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School (1975).

Career

Before taking her seat on the Southern District, Scheindlin worked as a prosecutor, commercial lawyer, and judge. She was a clerk for federal district court judge Charles L. Brieant from 1976 to 1977 and, from 1977 to 1981, was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. From 1981 to 1982, she was General Counsel for the New York City Department of Investigation. Starting in 1982, and continuing through 1984, she served as special master in the Agent Orange mass tort litigation. She was an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School from 1983 to 1994. From 1992 to 1994, she was special master for another mass torts case involving property damaged by asbestos. As a commercial lawyer, Scheindlin worked for Stroock & Stroock & Lavan (1975–76), Budd, Larner, Gross, Rosenbaum, Greenberg & Sade (1986–90), and Herzfeld & Rubin, P.C. (1990–94).

Federal judicial service

Scheindlin was nominated by President Bill Clinton on July 28, 1994, to a seat vacated by Louis Freeh (who went on to be the director of the FBI). The United States Senate confirmed her on September 28, 1994, and she was commissioned on September 29, 1994. On December 12, 2012, Scheindlin's judicial seat was filled by Lorna G. Schofield after Scheindlin assumed senior status. On March 23, 2016, she announced her intention to retire. She retired from the bench on April 29, 2016. Scheindlin's greatest influence has been in the field of electronic discovery. Scheindlin's decisions in Zubulake v. UBS Warburg were "so influential [the rulings were] partially absorbed into the recent civil procedure amendments [in 2006]."

Later career

On May 2, 2016, Scheindlin returned to Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, joining the Litigation Practice Group there as counsel to the firm. She also offerered her services as an arbitrator and mediator. In September 2023, Scheindlin joined Boies Schiller Flexner LLP as counsel, saying that the firm's disputes-only offering minimised the potential of client conflicts, which are common at larger firms.

Notable rulings

During her tenure, Scheindlin presided over a number of high-profile cases, many of which advanced important new positions in the interpretation of the United States Constitution or federal law.

Awards

Selected works

Family and personal life

Scheindlin was born in Washington, DC, and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She was the second of three children. Her mother, Miriam Shapiro, was a public school teacher. Her father, Boris M. Joffe, was the executive director of the Detroit Jewish Community Council. Joffe died in 1960, when Scheindlin was 13. Scheindlin has two children. Dov Scheindlin is a violist, currently performing with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Dahlia Scheindlin is an international public opinion analyst, consultant, and author. Scheindlin is not related to the television personality Judith "Judge Judy" Sheindlin.