Judiciary Watch

Democrats to force votes on nominees

David Ingram reportedon the Blog of Legal Times that Senate Democrats are considering forcing votes on four of President Obama’s nominees for the federal bench. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was lining up support this morning for a cloture petition — the necessary paperwork before holding a vote to end debate. A petition requires 16 signatures.  The four nominees Reid is trying to force votes on are: John McConnell, Jr., who is nominated for the district court in Rhode Island; Goodwin Liu, nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit; Edward Chen for the Northern District of California; and Louis Butler for the Western District of Wisconsin.

A group of circuit and district court judges from the 9th Circuit, including Chief Judge Alex Kozinski, sent a letter this week to Senate leaders asking for quicker action on nominees. "In order to do our work, and serve the public as Congress expects us to serve it, we need the resources to carry out our mission," the letter says. “While there are many areas of serious need, we write today to emphasize our desperate need for judges."

D.C. Federal Court vacancies to reach 5

If the Senate does not confirm any pending nominees to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before Hon. Ricardo Urbina takes senior status on January 31, 2011, there will be five vacancies on the court, as noted by Jeff Jeffrey on the Blog of Legal Times.  Following are the four nominees who have been reported by the Judiciary Committee but are waiting for a vote from the full Senate.

Beryl A. Howell was nominated to replace Hon. Paul L. Friedman who took senior status in 2009.  She was nominated July 14 and reported by the Judiciary Committee Sept. 23, 2010.  Howell is a Commissioner with the U.S. Sentencing Commission and an adjunct professor at American Univ. Washington College of Law.

Amy B. Jackson was nominated to fill a vacancy left by Hon. Gladys Kessler who took senior status in 2007. Jackson graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1979 and is currently a partner with Trout Cacheris. She is a former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Jackson was nominated June 18 and reported by the committee September 15, 2010.

James E. Boasberg is a graduate of Yale Law School and is currently an associate judge on the D.C. Superior Court. He was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in D.C. prior to taking the bench.  Boasberg was nominated June 18 fill the vacancy left by Thomas F. Hogan who took senior status in 2008 and reported by the committee September 15, 2010.

Robert L. Wilkins graduated Harvard Law School and has been a partner with Venable LLP since 2002. He would fill the seat left vacant by James Robertson who took senior status in 2008.  Wilkins was nominated July 28 and reported September 23, 2010.

Election Results to change Judiciary Committee make-up

Last week’s election results are going to shake up the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to David Ingram writing for the Blog of Legal Times.  Three of the 12 Democratic Senators on the Committee will not be returning, including Russ Feingold (Wisc.), Ted Kaufman (Del.) and Arlen Specter (Pa.), who lost his party’s primary.  All 7 Republican members are expected to be back.  If the committee stays at 19-members, one possible breakdown would be 10 Democrats and 9 Republicans.  Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa) is in line to succeed Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.) as the committee’s top Republican and Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.) will most likely remain committee chairman.