Durbin, Duckworth Applaud Historic Nominations of John Lee to Serve as 7th Circuit Judge, Nancy Maldonado to Serve as U.S. District Judge
If confirmed, Lee would become the first Asian American judge to serve on the Seventh Circuit, and Maldonado would become the first Hispanic woman to serve as an Article III federal judge in the state of Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the White House announced the nominations of Judge John Z. Lee to serve as a Circuit Court Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and Nancy L. Maldonado to serve as a District Court Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois:
“We are pleased that President Biden has nominated Judge John Lee and Nancy Maldonado to fill judicial vacancies in Illinois. These nominees not only bring qualifications that are extraordinary, but also demographic and professional diversity that will strengthen our federal bench. We look forward to supporting their historic nominations in the Senate.”
Durbin and Duckworth have established nonpartisan screening committees to assist them in evaluating candidates for vacant federal district court, U.S. Attorney, and U.S. Marshal positions in Illinois. The task of the screening committees is to review and vet candidates for the vacancies and advise the Senators regarding the candidates’ qualifications and fitness for the position.
Bios of the nominees from the White House are included below:
Judge John Z. Lee: Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Judge John Z. Lee has served as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois since 2012. From 1999 to 2012, Judge Lee was an associate and then partner at Freeborn & Peters LLP in Chicago. From 1996 to 1999, Judge Lee was an associate at Grippo & Elden LLC, and from 1994 to 1996, he was an associate at Mayer Brown LLP. Mr. Lee served as a trial attorney in the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1992 to 1994.
Judge Lee received his A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard College in 1989, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude, in 1992.
Nancy L. Maldonado: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Nancy L. Maldonado is a partner at Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C. in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Maldonado joined the firm as an associate in 2003 and was elevated to partner in 2010. Ms. Maldonado previously served as a law clerk for Judge Rubén Castillo on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois from 2001 to 2003.
Ms. Maldonado received her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2001, and her A.B., cum laude, from Harvard College in 1997.
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