Zinora 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. Ms. 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, Mrs. Mitchell-

Rankin’s legal practice included both affirmative and defensive civil litigation before the

United States District Courts, United States Courts 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, Ms. 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. Ms. 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.