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Biography
Sarah S. Vance (born 1950) is a United States federal judge.
Born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, Vance received a B.A. from Louisiana State University in 1971 and a J.D. from Tulane Law School in 1978. She was in private practice in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1978 to 1994.
On June 8, 1994, Vance was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana vacated by Henry A. Mentz, Jr.. Vance was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 28, 1994, and received her commission on September 29, 1994. She served as chief judge from 2008 to 2015.
In May 1996, Vance was elected to the American Law Institute. She served as an Adviser on ALI's Recognition & Enforcement of Foreign Judgments project and now serves as an Adviser on the Principles of the Law of Liability Insurance project. In May 2013, Vance was elected to a five-year term on the ALI Council.