The Honorable Zinora M. Mitchell-Rankin

Zinora M. Mitchell-Rankin was born in the District of Columbia and was educated at Spelman College in Atlanta Georgia, where she graduated summa cum laude and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1976, and at George Washington University's National Law Center in Washington, D.C. where she received her Juris Doctorate degree in May 1979. Judge Mitchell-Rankin was admitted by examination to the Bar of the District of Columbia on December 17, 1979.

Shortly after graduating from law school, she accepted an appointment with the Department of Justice Honors Program and was assigned to the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch as a trial attorney. During her tenure with the Civil Division, Judge Mitchell-Rankin's legal practice included affirmative and defensive civil litigation before the United States District Courts, United States Court of Appeals, United States Bankruptcy Court, and the United States Claims Court. On June 26, 1982, she was appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney of the District of Columbia. In that office, Judge Mitchell-Rankin served in both the United States District Court and in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition, she served as the Administrative Assistant United States Attorney from March 1987 until May 1988. Judge Mitchell-Rankin was then appointed to serve as the Executive Assistant for Management and remained in that position until her nomination to the Superior Court.

On January 12, 1990, Judge Mitchell-Rankin was sworn in as an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Since that time, she has served in the Civil, Family and Criminal Divisions of the Court. She served as the Presiding Judge of the Family Division from January 1999 through December 2000. Prior to serving as the Presiding Judge of the Family Division she served as Deputy Presiding Judge of the Family Division for two years.

Judge Zinora Mitchell-Rankin and her husband, the Honorable Judge Michael L. Rankin, are the proud parents of three sons, John Michael, Everett Mitchell and Michael Joseph and one daughter, Lee Elliott Rankin.