Benita Y. Pearson

Benita Yalonda Pearson (born February 1963) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and formerly a United States magistrate judge on the same court.

Early life and education

Born and raised in Cleveland, Pearson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Georgetown University in 1985 and then earned a Juris Doctor from the Cleveland State University College of Law in 1995.

Career

From 1985 to 1992, Pearson worked for BP, first as a corporate accountant from 1985 to 1987 and then as a supervisor of retail marketing accounting from 1987 to 1990 and then in retail sales from 1990 to 1992. From 1992 to 1994, Pearson worked as a law clerk for a Cleveland law firm, and from 1995 to 1996, Pearson served as a litigation associate for a Cleveland law firm. From 1996 to 1998, Pearson served as a law clerk for Judge John Michael Manos of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She received her commission on December 27, 2010.