The White House just announced two nominees to federal circuit courts. Both are district court judges who would be elevated to the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the 2nd and 4th Circuits, two of the most-watched circuits in the country.
Here's the news release. More later.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2009
President Obama Announces Judge Gerard Lynch for United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Judge Andre Davis for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
WASHINGTON, DC — President Obama today announced his intent to nominate Judge Gerard Lynch for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Andre Davis for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Judge Lynch currently sits on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and Judge Davis serves on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
“Judges Lynch and Davis are two jurists with exceptional records of integrity and fairness,” President Obama said. “They will be voices of reason and even-handedness on the Second and Fourth Circuits. Their service to the District Courts of New York and Maryland has been invaluable and I am honored to put them forward to serve on the Second and Fourth Circuits.”
Judge Gerard Lynch
Judge Gerard Lynch was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating first in his class from Regis High School, a Jesuit school in New York, he received his B.A. from Columbia in 1972, where he was valedictorian. He received his J.D. from Columbia in 1975, again graduating first in his class. Following law school, he clerked for Judge Wilfred Feinberg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1975-76 and for Justice William Brennan of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1976-77.
Judge Lynch joined the Columbia law faculty as an assistant professor in 1977, becoming an associate professor in 1980 and a full professor in 1986. He was awarded an endowed chair in 1996, which he continues to hold.
Prior to taking the bench, Lynch served in a wide range of government positions. He was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) from 1980 to 1983, Special Counsel for the New York Special Commission to Investigate City Contracts in 1986, Chief Counsel for the New York Commission on Government Integrity in 1987, Associate Counsel for the Iran-Contra Independent Counsel from 1988 to 1990, Chief of the Criminal Division in the SDNY U.S. Attorney’s Office from 1990 to 1992, and Special Counsel for the Office of Independent Counsel Carol Elder Bruce from 1999 to 2000. In addition, from 1992 to 2000 he was of counsel to the firm Covington & Burling (formerly Howard Darby & Levin) in New York. Lynch currently serves as a United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York.
Judge Lynch is being nominated for the Second Circuit seat made vacant when Judge Chester Straub took senior status in 2008.
Judge Andre Davis
Judge Andre Davis was born and raised in East Baltimore. He received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania, and his J.D. with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law.
After graduating from law school, he clerked for Judge Frank Kaufman on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and then for Judge Francis Murnaghan, Jr., on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He then served as an appellate attorney in the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, and as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland.
Judge Davis then spent several years in private practice before joining the faculty of the University of Maryland Law School, where he taught federal civil procedure, constitutional criminal procedure, oral advocacy, and legal research and writing. Davis was appointed to the State District Court of Maryland for Baltimore in August 1987 and served for over three years before being appointed to the State Circuit Court for Baltimore. In November 1992, the people of Baltimore elected him to a full term on the Circuit Court. In 1995, he was nominated and unanimously confirmed for a position on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
Judge Davis is a member of the faculty of the National Judicial College, and is a past president of the Executive Committee of the Maryland Judicial Conference and a former member of the Judicial Institute of Maryland’s Board of Directors. He is also a member of the Committee on International Judicial Relations, which helps to educate judges around the world about the American justice system. He was first appointed to the committee by then-Chief Justice Rehnquist.
Judge Davis is being nominated for the Fourth Circuit seat left vacant by the death of Judge Francis Murnaghan.
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