Norton Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission Accepting Applications for Upcoming Opening on U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

WASHINGTON, DC – The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that her Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission is accepting applications for an upcoming opening on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Applications for the opening are due on Wednesday, December 11, 2013, a shorter time-frame than the usual 30-day period because of last week's unanticipated Senate filibuster reform that will create a vacancy on the district court here with the expected confirmation of District Court Judge Robert L. Wilkins for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Criteria for evaluating candidates include: integrity, professional skills and experience, impartiality, industry, good health, high respect in the legal and local community, respect for the Bill of Rights and for the rights of all litigants, entities and parties, judicial temperament, ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, demonstrated commitment to equal justice, and decisiveness. Diversity also is important in federal appointments.

Applications are available online on Norton's website at: https://www.norton.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/norton-evo.house.gov/files/migrated/images/stories/us-district-court-judge-questionnaire.pdf. Applicants must submit two completed hard-copies of the application and 20 USB flash drives (thumb drives) containing the completed application to the Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission, C/O District Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, 90 K Street, NE, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20001, by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 11, 2013. Applicants who have filed an application within the past 12 months may simply provide a cumulative update of relevant information since the date of their last application.

Norton's 16-member Commission, chaired by Pauline Schneider, a former president of the D.C. Bar and a special counsel at Ballard Spahr LLP, will vet and interview applicants for the opening and will send several applicants to the Congresswoman, who will then make her recommendation to President Obama.

President Obama, like President Clinton, granted Norton senatorial courtesy to recommend federal district court judges and other federal law enforcement officials in the District. Earlier this month, the Senate held a confirmation hearing for the nomination of Christopher Cooper, whom Norton recommended to President Obama for the district court here. President Obama has nominated and the Senate has confirmed all six of Norton's other recommendations for district court judges (Ketanji Brown Jackson, Amy Berman Jackson, James E. Boasberg, Rudolph Contreras, Beryl A. Howell and Robert L. Wilkins).

Published: November 25, 2013