Law Clerk Addict

This past Tuesday Jeffrey Viken (D.S.D.) earned the distinction of becoming President Barack Obama's first district judge nominee to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

There's been relatively little on the judicial nomination front (outside of the Supreme Court, that is), but here are a few items of note:

* Federal public defender Jeffrey Viken, one of President Obama's nominees to the District of South Dakota, had his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week.

* University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias discusses a vacanacy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that has gone unfilled for more than 15 years.

* The St. Petersburg Times provides an overview of the very slow pace of President Obama's judicial nominations, with a particular focus on the impact on the Middle District of Florida, which has called in 20 judges from other district courts across the country to help manage a heavy backlog of civil cases.

This afternoon President Barack Obama nominated Irene Berger to a vacant distrit judgeship in the Southern District of West Virginia and Roberto Lange to a vacant district judgeship in the District of South Dakota. It seems Obama has a particular interest in South Dakota, for, as you may recall, Obama nominated Jeffrey Viken for another vacancy on that court a mere week and a half ago. Significantly, with the exception of Obama's nomination of Charlene Honeywell to the Middle District of Florida, none of Obama's district court nominees have been to courts designated by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts as judicial emergencies.

In related judicial nominations news, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) announced today that he has recommended that President Obama nominate state Judge Christina Reiss to a vacancy in the District of Vermont. Although the final decision on who to nominate always rests with President Obama, it would be highly surprising if Obama did not nominate Judge Reiss given Senator Leahy's status as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

President Barack Obama has announced his first two district court nominations: federal public defender Jeffrey Viken to the District of South Dakota and Florida state circuit judge Charlene Honeywell to the Middle District of Florida.

As usual, the end of the month brings about a flurry of retirements and elections to senior status. Today represents the last day of active service for the following federal district judges:

* Maxine Chesney (N.D. Cal.) (senior)

* Helen Gillmor (D. Haw.) (senior)

* Richard Webber (E.D. Mo.) (senior)

* Garvan Murtha (D. Vt.) (senior)

* Lawrence Piersol (D.S.D.) (senior)

* Samuel Kent (S.D. Tex.) (resignation)

In addition, Judges Peter Economus (N.D. Ohio) and Larry McKinney (S.D. Ind.) will take senior status on July 3 and July 4, respectively.