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Obama Names Pennsylvania Judge to Third Circuit
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| Followed by Mexico's President Felipe Calderon, President Barack Obama gestures after an official photo at the Cabanas Cultural Center in Guadalajara, Mexico, Monday Aug. 10, 2009. (AP) |
Other Nominations Highlight Obama’s Attempt to Use Diversity as a Qualification
By Joe Murray, The Bulletin
After safely nominating and confirming U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the White House is preparing for a plethora of nominations to fill empty seats. On Friday, the first wave of judicial appointments surfaced.
The White House announced Thomas Vanaskie, the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, was President Barack Obama’s choice for a spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. It was also announced Jane Stranch, a Nashville, Tenn. lawyer, for a spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
"Jane Stranch and Thomas Vanaskie have displayed exceptional dedication to their communities through their work and I am honored to nominate them to serve the American people as judges on the United States Court of Appeals," Mr. Obama said. "They will be diligent, judicious and esteemed additions to the Third and Sixth Circuit benches."
News of the Vanaskie nomination received praise from at least one Pennsylvania lawmaker, as U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Jr., D-Pa., said the president “could not have made a better choice.”
“Tom Vanaskie has served with distinction as a federal district court judge for 15 years. His academic record, his work as a practicing lawyer and his work on the federal bench have been marked by a commitment to excellence. As an appellate judge he will apply the law in a fair and impartial manner,” Mr. Casey said.
Mr. Vanaskie was first nominated by former President Bill Clinton in 1993 to his current post and was confirmed in 1994. The Third Circuit nominee graduated from Lycoming College in 1975 and Dickinson School of Law in 1978. He began his legal career clerking for William J. Nealon, then Chief Judge of the Middle District.
The spot Mr. Obama hopes Mr. Vanaskie will fill on the Third Circuit was created when Judge Franklin Stuart Van Antwerpen took senior status in 2006.
In praising Mr. Vanaskie, Mr. Casey noted his family connection to the judge.
“Judge Vanaskie also has a long history with my family. He practiced law with my father, Governor Robert P. Casey, and he administered the oath of office to me at my three swearing-in ceremonies when I served as Auditor General and State Treasurer.”
And even though Mr. Vanaskie may not fit the diversity profile established by Ms. Sotomayor’s nomination, he is a white male, moments after the Vanaskie and Stanch nominations were released the White House announced a diverse slate of nominations.
Edward Chen, Dolly Gee, and Richard Seeborg were nominated to be federal district judges in California. Mr. Chen and Ms. Gee are Asian-Americans.
“This marks the first time in history that two Asian Pacific American judicial nominations have been made on the same day. These historic nominations come on the heels of the nomination of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Nguyen for United States District Court for the Central District of California just one week ago and demonstrate President Obama’s commitment to improving the long-needed diversity of the federal judiciary,” said Andrew T. Hahn, Sr. President of National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
The White House announced Thomas Vanaskie, the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, was President Barack Obama’s choice for a spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. It was also announced Jane Stranch, a Nashville, Tenn. lawyer, for a spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
"Jane Stranch and Thomas Vanaskie have displayed exceptional dedication to their communities through their work and I am honored to nominate them to serve the American people as judges on the United States Court of Appeals," Mr. Obama said. "They will be diligent, judicious and esteemed additions to the Third and Sixth Circuit benches."
News of the Vanaskie nomination received praise from at least one Pennsylvania lawmaker, as U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Jr., D-Pa., said the president “could not have made a better choice.”
“Tom Vanaskie has served with distinction as a federal district court judge for 15 years. His academic record, his work as a practicing lawyer and his work on the federal bench have been marked by a commitment to excellence. As an appellate judge he will apply the law in a fair and impartial manner,” Mr. Casey said.
Mr. Vanaskie was first nominated by former President Bill Clinton in 1993 to his current post and was confirmed in 1994. The Third Circuit nominee graduated from Lycoming College in 1975 and Dickinson School of Law in 1978. He began his legal career clerking for William J. Nealon, then Chief Judge of the Middle District.
The spot Mr. Obama hopes Mr. Vanaskie will fill on the Third Circuit was created when Judge Franklin Stuart Van Antwerpen took senior status in 2006.
In praising Mr. Vanaskie, Mr. Casey noted his family connection to the judge.
“Judge Vanaskie also has a long history with my family. He practiced law with my father, Governor Robert P. Casey, and he administered the oath of office to me at my three swearing-in ceremonies when I served as Auditor General and State Treasurer.”
And even though Mr. Vanaskie may not fit the diversity profile established by Ms. Sotomayor’s nomination, he is a white male, moments after the Vanaskie and Stanch nominations were released the White House announced a diverse slate of nominations.
Edward Chen, Dolly Gee, and Richard Seeborg were nominated to be federal district judges in California. Mr. Chen and Ms. Gee are Asian-Americans.
“This marks the first time in history that two Asian Pacific American judicial nominations have been made on the same day. These historic nominations come on the heels of the nomination of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Nguyen for United States District Court for the Central District of California just one week ago and demonstrate President Obama’s commitment to improving the long-needed diversity of the federal judiciary,” said Andrew T. Hahn, Sr. President of National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
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