Bio
Jerrlyn Uduch Sengebau Senior is a Palauan lawyer, judge, and politician who has served as the Vice President of Palau since 2021. She was previously a member of the Senate of Palau from 2013 until she took office as Vice President.
Senior attended primary school in Palau and completed her high school education in Hawaii. She then studied at the University of Hawaii, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor degree in 1993. Upon returning to Palau, she worked as a staff attorney for the Micronesian Legal Services Corporation, assistant attorney general, associate judge of the Land Court, and associate justice pro tem of the appellate division of the Supreme Court of Palau. She served as senior judge of the Land Court from 2003 until her resignation in 2007, after which she practiced law privately until her election to parliament.
First elected to the Senate in 2012, Senior introduced a bill mandating maternity leave and banning discrimination against pregnant women, and she advocated for gender equality in public office. She also founded the Centre for Women’s Empowerment Palau to support women in leadership roles. Re-elected in 2016, she served as Chairperson of the Senate Judiciary & Governmental Affairs Committee until her resignation in July 2017.
Party
Term
Senator 2012 -2016, VP 2021 – Current
Electorate
Province
Palau
Political Status
Vice President