The nine-member Judicial Nominating Commission named to recommend a slate of candidates to replace retiring U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha will accept applications for the upcoming vacancy in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont through May 4. Applicants should visit the Vermont Bar Association s web site at www.vtbar.org to obtain a questionnaire and further instructions.
Any member in good standing of the Vermont Bar is eligible to apply for the U.S. District Court vacancy. Applicants are asked to complete a questionnaire which is available on the web site, or to request a copy in writing from the Judicial Nominating Commission c/o The Vermont Bar Association, 35-37 Court Street, P.O. Box 100, Montpelier, VT 05601, Attn: Bob Paolini, executive director.
Peter D. Van Oot of Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC in Brattleboro was named to chair the commission by U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy. Applicants with questions about the process or the questionnaire may submit confidential inquiries to Peter D. Van Oot c/o Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC, P.O. Box 9, Brattleboro, VT, 05302-0009. Applicants are requested to not directly contact any other member of the nominating commission regarding this matter.
After Murtha announced that he will move to senior status in June, a nine-member nominating commission was appointed by U.S. Senators Leahy and Bernard Sanders and by the Vermont Bar Association to review applicants and submit a slate of candidates to Leahy, Sanders and, at Senator Leahy s request, Vermont U.S. Rep. Peter Welch. As the senior senator of the president s party, Leahy will then recommend the final candidate for the judicial vacancy to the president. The other members of the commission are Jerome F. O Neill of O Neill Kellner & Green, P.C. in Burlington, Hon. Marilyn R. Skoglund of the Vermont Supreme Court, Geoffrey B. Shields of Vermont Law School, Paul Burns of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group in Montpelier, Barbara W. Prine of Vermont Legal Aid, Inc./Disability Law Project in Burlington, David A. Mickenberg of Mickenberg, Dunn, Lachs, Hazel & Smith, PLC in Burlington, Joan Loring Wing, Esq. of Rutland, and David F. Silver of Barr, Sternberg, Moss, Lawrence, Silver, Saltonstall & Fenster, P.C. in Bennington. Robert M. Paolini of the Vermont Bar Association is providing administrative support to the commission.
For further information, please contact Peter Van Oot at 802-451-2312, or go to http://www.vtbar.org/Upload%20Files/WebPages/usdistrictcourtapplication.