Judge Sparkle Sooknanan
District of Columbia U.S. District Court
Sparkle Leah Sooknanan was born in 1983 in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. She earned an undergraduate degree from St. Francis College, an M.B.A. from Hofstra University, and a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School. She clerked for a judge in the Eastern District of New York, then for a judge on the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and then for Supreme Court Associate JusticeSonia Sotomayor.
Sooknanan worked as an appellate attorney in the Civil Division of the Justice Department before joining a private law firm. She served as deputy associate attorney general and then principal deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department during President Joe Biden’s term.
Sooknanan was nominated by President Biden in February 2024 to serve on the District of Columbia U.S. District Court. She was confirmed by the Senate in December and received her commission in January 2025.
In the News…
Federal Judge Sparkle Sooknanan of the D.C. District Court issued an injunction to stop the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Civil Investigative Demand from investigating Media Matters for America as the legal proceedings play out. The media watchdog group had previously been sued by Elon Musk for its designation of X as a platform supporting hate speech.
Judge Sooknanan stated that the FTC’s intent “purportedly to investigate an advertiser boycott concerning social media platforms” was a violation of the First Amendment. “It should alarm all Americans when the government retaliates against individuals or organizations for engaging in constitutionally protected public debate.“
Judge Sooknanan issued the injunction, stating that the media group was likely to succeed in its claim that the FTC was engaging in a retaliatory investigation.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Judge Sooknanan today? You can let her know at:
The Honorable Sparkle Sooknanan
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse
333 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
