The Judicial Nomination Commission will be busy filling vacancies on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia — after it fills one of its own.
The commission has begun receiving applications to fill the vacancy left in the wake of Judge Mary Terrell’s May 30 retirement. The commission is also starting to look for a successor for Chief Judge Rufus King III, who announced that he will retire after Sept. 30.
The commission itself has a vacancy and is awaiting an appointment from the D.C. Council.
Vacancies on the court are fairly common. Between 1995 and 2006 there were three vacancies a year. This year, the court has already had two announced vacancies.
Chief judge vacancies are much less common. King has served as the court's chief judge for the past eight years.
Though the commission will appoint a new chief judge from within the ranks of the Superior Court judges, the court will be accepting applications from the District’s legal community to fill Terrell’s spot.
Qualified applicants must be active members of the D.C. Bar and must be residents of the District of Columbia. The must also be actively practicing law, on the faculty of a D.C. law school, or be working as an attorney for the United States or the District of Columbia government for the past five years.
Comments