Iris Lan, nominated for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, brings a strong academic background and extensive governmental experience to the position.
Background
The daughter of two professors, Iris Lan grew up in Manhattan, graduating from Stuyvesant High School in 1995.[1] Lan received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and then entered a joint J.D.-PhD program at Harvard Law School, graduating in 2003.[2]
After graduating, Lan clerked for Judge William Bryson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Lan then joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Lan also worked at the Department of Justice, becoming an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel. During the Obama Administration, Lan served as Associate Deputy Attorney General and as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the National Security Division.[3] Lan is currently on detail from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, serving with the Office of the Deputy Attorney General.
History of the Seat
Lan has been tapped for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to a seat vacated by Judge Katherine Forrest, who resigned from the Southern District on September 11, 2018. Lan was originally nominated for the seat on December 2, 2019 and renominated on May 4, 2020.
Legal Career
During her time with the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Lan has worked on a number of prominent criminal cases. For example, early in her career, Lan worked on child pornography prosecutions under Operation Predator, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) program to target pornographers and child traffickers.[4] Lan also prosecuted Manuel Felipe Salazar-Espinosa, a drug kingpin charged with smuggling $100 million in cocaine.[5]
Among other matters, Lan prosecuted spy Ben Ami-Kadish for leaking military secrets to Israel,[6] and prosecuted terrorists for bombing U.S. embassies in East Africa.[7]
Writings
Lan hasn’t been particularly prolific as a legal writer, but did write a number of commentary pieces as a law student in the field of health law. For example, Lan authored a number of pieces discussing developments in the field of health law.[8] These articles were generally descriptive, although with some commentary. For example, in one piece, Lan tentatively supports a Mississippi Supreme Court decision allowing liability for potentially exposing a patient to HIV, even where transmission is not proven.[9]
Overall Assessment
Given her credentials and extensive experience in litigation, Lan is qualified for a seat on the federal bench. That being said, she is up against a ticking clock to the Presidential election. Even if she maintains the support of her home-state senators, Republicans may choose to prioritize more conservative picks.
[1] Abby Y. Fung, Renaissance Woman Keeps On Runnin’, Harvard Crimson, June 10, 1999, https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1999/6/10/renaissance-woman-keeps-on-runnin-piris/.
[2] See id.
[3] See Department of Justice Directory, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CDIR-2014-02-18/pdf/CDIR-2014-02-18-DEPARTMENTS-4.pdf.
[4] See, e.g., Press Release, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Ex-CEO Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, Obstruction of Justice, Aug. 4, 2006.
[5] Larry Neumeister, Lawyer Tells New York Jury Her Client Dealt Drugs But Not to US, A.P. State & Local Wire, June 11, 2007.
[6] Bruce Golding, Wrist Slap for Old Spy, N.Y. Post, May 30, 2009.
[7] See In re Terrorist Bombings of U.S. Embassies in E. Afr. v. Odeh, 552 F.3d 93 (Dec. 10, 2007).
[8] See, e.g., Iris Lan, COURT DECISION: Recent Developments in Health Law: American Journal of Law & Medicine and Harvard Law & Health Care Society: Pharmaceuticals: Conspiracy to Increase Ritalin Profits Alleged, 29 J.L. Med. & Ethics 100 (Spring 2001); Iris Lan, REGULAR FEATURE: Recent Developments in Health Law: American Journal of Law & Medicine and Harvard Law & Health Care Society: ADA: U.S. Supreme Court to Address Whether Carpal Tunnel Constitutes a Disability, 29 J.L. Med. & Ethics 407 (Fall/Winter 2001); Iris Lan, Recent Developments in Health Law: American Journal of Law & Medicine and Harvard Law & Health Care Society: AIDS: Mississippi Supreme Court Adopts New Standard for Fear of Exposure to AIDS, 28 J.L. Med. & Ethics 94 (Spring 2000).
[9] See Iris Lan, Recent Developments in Health Law: American Journal of Law & Medicine and Harvard Law & Health Care Society: AIDS: Mississippi Supreme Court Adopts New Standard for Fear of Exposure to AIDS, 28 J.L. Med. & Ethics 94, 95 (Spring 2000).
The Vetting Room 