Dabney Langhorne Friedrich ‘88, Economics
Dabney Langhorne Friedrich ’88 is now a U.S. District Judge in Washington, D.C., a journey that has taken her from the tennis courts to the courtroom.
Her first tennis courts were in Pensacola, Fla., and she later honed her skills as a member of Trinity’s nationally ranked NCAA Division I women’s tennis team. The courtroom is the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, where Dabney is already handling more than 100 cases.
Dabney was nominated for the federal bench by President Donald Trump on June 7. She was approved for the post at a July 25 hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Not known for its speed, the Senate confirmed Friedrich by a vote of 97-3 on Nov. 27.
Fittingly, she took her oath of office from Senior Judge Thomas Hogan, in whose court she had served as his law clerk from 1992-1994. Her ceremonial swearing-in will occur in spring 2018.
Dabney is very clear and forthright about her role as a federal judge. Often, during the confirmation process, questions are asked to see if the nominee has a political agenda. Not so with Judge Friedrich.
“My role is to decide cases based on the facts of the law,” she says. “It’s also to protect the rights of litigants. One of the hardest things that judges have to do is sentence criminal defendants. I’m sure it will be a challenge for me, too.”
Dabney emerged on the administration’s radar because of her legal background. She served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 2006-2016 in Washington. The independent agency issues sentencing guidelines and recommendations to Congress. From 2003-2006, Dabney was associate White House counsel in the George W. Bush administration. She was the counsel to the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) from 2002-2003.
Dabney also gained extensive experience as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern California District and the Eastern Virginia District. She was in private practice in San Diego, after serving as the law clerk for Judge Hogan.
After graduation from Trinity, Dabney spent a year at Oxford University, where she received a diploma in legal studies. She went on to Yale Law School, earning a J.D. in 1992.
She received a bachelor’s degree from Trinity in economics. An honor student, Dabney was a member of the Dean’s List, Blue Key, Mortar Board, and Phi Beta Kappa, among others. She cites emeriti Professors Richard Butler (economics) and Jerry Smetzer (mathematics) as two of her most influential instructors.
Dabney came to Trinity on a tennis scholarship after receiving national rankings as a junior player. She was a key player from the 1984-85 through 1987-88 seasons, when the Tigers took third place on two occasions and advanced to the quarterfinals at the NCAA Division I Championships. Her coach was Emilie Foster ‘69, and a teammate was Gretchen Rush ‘86, Trinity’s women’s team’s current head coach.
“Tennis was definitely the draw,” Dabney says about why she wanted to attend Trinity. “That was a wonderful group of players and personalities, and they are lifelong friends.
“Trinity is a great liberal arts school. I received a terrific education there. But I have to say, I've never been under more pressure in my life than I was at Trinity, trying to juggle tennis and the academic demands.That was good training that prepared me well for life after college.”
For two summers, Dabney interned in the Florida State Attorney’s Office in her hometown of Pensacola, an experience that piqued her interest in the legal profession.
Her husband of 16 years, Matt, is also an attorney and is currently the general counsel and chief corporate affairs officer for Cognizant Technology Solutions.
The Friedrichs have two children and reside in Maryland.
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