The District's Judicial Nomination Commission is seeking public comment on the eight applicants vying for a slot on the D.C. Court of Appeals created by the retirement of Judge Inez Smith Reid.
The judicial commission, which makes recommendations to the White House for vacancies on Washington’s local courts, identified eight applicants [.pdf]:
- Corinne Beckwith, D.C. Public Defender Service, appellate division
- Alan Burch, U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, assistant U.S. attorney
- Winsome Gayle, U.S. Justice Department, Civil Rights Division, senior trial attorney
- Todd Kim, D.C. Office of the Attorney General, Solicitor General
- Randell Norton, Thompson O’Donnell LLP partner
- Walter Smith, Jr., executive director of DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
- Daniel Squire, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, regulatory and government affairs partner
- Paul Wolfson, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, appellate litigation partner
Reid has served on the appeals court since 1995. Her D.C. Court of Appeals biography is here.
The commission said today it’s looking for comment on the fitness of the eight applicants to serve on the D.C. Court of Appeals, the highest local court in Washington. Categories include judicial temperament, professional skills, ethics and commitment to diversity.
The JNC said all comments, which are confidential, must be received by Jan. 16, 2011. The JNC will send three names to President Obama for possible nomination and appointment to the appeals court.
Beckwith and Smith were among three finalists in 2008 for the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael Farrell. President George W. Bush nominated Kathryn Oberly, who joined the court in January 2009.
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