Pamela T. Talkin (born 1947) is a former Marshal of the United States Supreme Court and the first woman to hold this position.

Pamela Talkin
10th Marshal of the United States Supreme Court
In office
July 16, 2001 – July 31, 2020
Preceded byDale Bosley
Succeeded byGail Curley
Personal details
Born1947 (age 76–77)
Political partyDemocratic
EducationBrooklyn College (BA, MA)

Early life and education

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Talkin earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Spanish from the City University of New York at Brooklyn College.[1] She has done postgraduate work at the City University of New York and at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.[citation needed]

Career

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Talkin began her career as a Spanish teacher and guidance counselor in New York City high schools. From 1984 to 1985, she was special assistant to the commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. From 1986 to 1989, she was chief of staff to the EEOC Chair, Clarence Thomas, even while being a Democrat.[2][3] In 1991, she testified in support of Clarence Thomas during his confirmation hearings in response to allegations of sexual harassment by Anita Hill.[4]

From 1984 to 1986, Talkin was an assistant regional director of the National Labor Relations Board in San Francisco, California, and from 1986 to 1989, she was chief of staff at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 1989, Talkin was appointed by President George H. W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate as a member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority.[3] From 1995 to 2001, she was the first deputy executive director of the Office of Compliance, the independent regulatory agency created by the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, which applies the nation’s labor and employment laws to Congress.[5]

In July 2001 Talkin became Marshal of the United States Supreme Court, in which capacity she oversaw the security, operations and management of the Supreme Court building. One of her responsibilities was to open all sessions of the Court with the traditional cry, "Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!"[1][6]

On July 7, 2020, the Court announced that Talkin would retire as Marshal effective July 31, 2020, after 19 years as Marshal and 47 total years of federal employment.[7] She was succeeded by Gail Curley.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Working Behind the Scenes". eJournal USA. April 2005. Archived from the original on January 10, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ https://www.npr.org/2020/07/14/891202389/first-women-to-hold-top-staff-jobs-at-supreme-court-are-retiring
  3. ^ a b Bush, George (1990). Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George Bush, 1989. Best Books. p. 1024. ISBN 9781623767518.
  4. ^ Miller, Anita (2005). The Complete Transcripts of the Clarence Thomas - Anita Hill Hearings: October 11, 12, 13, 1991. Chicago Review Press. pp. 467–468. ISBN 9781613732328.
  5. ^ Supreme Court press release, July 7, 2020
  6. ^ "How The Court Works: Clerk of the Court and the Marshal". The Supreme Court Historical Society.
  7. ^ Supreme Court press release, July 7, 2020; Nina Totenberg, First Women To Hold Top Staff Jobs At Supreme Court Are Retiring (July 14, 2020).
  8. ^ Howe, Amy (2021-05-03). "Court names military attorney as second-ever female marshal". SCOTUSblog. Retrieved 2022-08-25.