Litigator Juanita Ferguson Appointed to CJDT

March 16, 2026

On March 11, Juanita F. Ferguson was sworn in as the newest member of the District of Columbia Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure (CJDT), replacing William Lightfoot, who served for 25 years. Ferguson, an experienced litigator and shareholder at Bean, Kinney & Korman, brings to the commission firsthand knowledge of the D.C. Courts.

“It is a privilege to be appointed to the [CJDT]. I am committed to carrying out the commission’s responsibilities with fairness, independence, and respect for the rule of law, and I appreciate the confidence placed in me to serve the District of Columbia,” said Ferguson, whose practice focuses on real estate and construction matters.

The commission is charged with maintaining public confidence in an independent, impartial, fair, and qualified judiciary and with enforcing the high standards of conduct for judges. Commission members are appointed by the president of the United States, the mayor of the District of Columbia, the D.C. Council, the board of governors of the D.C. Bar, and the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Ferguson was appointed by Mayor Muriel E. Bowser.

Ferguson earned her juris doctor from the George Washington University Law School, where she was a member of the Moot Court Board, Trial Court Board, and D.C. Law Students in Court. After law school, Ferguson clerked for Judge Anita Josey-Herring and Judge Herbert B. Dixon Jr. of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Ferguson is a member of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia bars and has held leadership positions in numerous voluntary bar associations. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., serving most recently as co-chair of the Connection and Social Action Committee for the Xi Omega Chapter.

CJDT Chair Amy Bess and her fellow commissioners said they look forward to working with Ferguson on the commission’s mission and are profoundly appreciative of Lightfoot’s decades of service to the CJDT. “While we knew Bill Lightfoot’s shoes on the commission would be difficult to fill, we are grateful to Mayor Bowser for appointing such an outstanding commissioner to replace him,” Bess said. “Commissioner Ferguson brings to us years of deep experience with the D.C. Courts. Her wealth of wisdom and legal acumen will undoubtedly enhance the commission’s deliberations and decision-making.”