The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is pleased to welcome the Honorable Kai N. Scott as a United States District Judge. Judge Scott took the oath of office on January 19, 2023.
The Honorable Kai N. Scott was born and raised in Philadelphia. She was educated in the Philadelphia public school system, attending the Julia R. Masterman School and the Philadelphia High School for Girls. Subsequently, she enrolled at Hampton University in Virginia. Judge Scott graduated with honors, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Subsequently, she enrolled at the West Virginia University College of Law, and graduated from that same institution.
After graduation from law school, Judge Scott was employed as a law clerk for two years. She then started her career as a trial attorney in 1998 when she began working as an Assistant Defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. In 2004, Judge Scott accepted a position as an Assistant Federal Defender at the Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Judge Scott served as the Chief of the Trial Unit at the Federal Community Defender Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for four years.
In 2015, Judge Scott campaigned and ran for election as a Judge in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. She was elected to a ten year term in November 2015 and began her term in January, 2016. In July, 2022, she was nominated by President Joseph Biden for a position as a district court judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. On December 7, 2022, she was confirmed by the United States Senate. Along with her commitment to the legal profession, and her many social and community activities, Judge Scott is a dedicated mother of a thirteen year old daughter.