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Sunday November 22, 2009 Events Calendar Archive |
Rosanna Peterson, UND Law Class of '91, Nominated to US District CourtUNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA - OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS President Obama taps UND alum for federal court bench
Peterson was among more than two dozen applicants for the lifetime position last November, and the only woman among the three finalists. The American Bar Association, which rates judicial appointment candidates, unanimously found Peterson "qualified." "I am honored to nominate Rosanna Peterson to the United States District Court bench," said President Obama. "Throughout her career, she has displayed exceptional integrity and an unwavering commitment to justice. She will be a distinguished addition to the federal bench for the Eastern District of Washington and I am grateful for her willingness to serve." Peterson earned her undergraduate degree in English in 1977; her Master of Arts degreein English in 1983, her juris doctor (law) degree in 1991, all from UND. President Obama’s choice of Peterson for the federal bench was enthusiastically received at UND. “We are so proud to have one of our graduates nominated for a federal judicial appointment, one of the most prestigious positions in the legal profession,” said Kathryn Rand, dean of the UND School of Law. “Professor Peterson's nomination is a testament to the quality of the education we provide at UND.” Rand said that Peterson—once her appointment is ratified by the Senate—joins a select group of UND School of Law alumni who have been appointed to the federal bench over the years, including Kermit Bye of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit; and Daniel Hovland, Ralph Erickson, and the late Rodney Webb of the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota. Peterson, a professor at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Wash., would become the first female judge on Eastern Washington’s U.S. District Court bench. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., called the nomination of a woman to the federal bench in the state of Washington "historic." A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Peterson has served as president of the Federal Bar Association for Eastern Washington and the Woman Lawyers State Bar Association. Following graduation from law school, Peterson clerked for the Honorable Fred Van Sickle in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. After her clerkship, Peterson practiced general litigation, employment and education law, as well as criminal defense at several private law firms in Spokane. In 1999, Peterson joined the faculty of Gonzaga University School of Law, where she teaches evidence, federal jurisdiction, and trial advocacy. She became the director of the School of Law’s Externship Program in 2002.
From The Spokesman-Review Professor nominated for U.S. District Court WASHINGTON – If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Gonzaga University law professor Rosanna Peterson would become the first woman to serve on Eastern Washington’s U.S. District Court bench. President Barack Obama announced Peterson’s nomination Tuesday for the vacancy left after Judge Fred Van Sickle’s move to senior status last year. She was chosen for the Eastern District, which encompasses Spokane and 19 other counties, from three finalists selected by a bipartisan committee. “I’m very honored and extremely appreciative of the vote of confidence from President Obama,” said Peterson, who found out she was nominated after a 6 a.m. phone call from Sen. Patty Murray’s office. Peterson, who has served as president of the Federal Bar Association for Eastern Washington and the Woman Lawyers State Bar Association, was among more than two dozen applicants for the lifetime position last November, and the only woman among the three finalists. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., called the nomination of a woman to the court “historic,” and Murray praised the state’s selection commission. “I’m proud to support her and I’m proud that our bipartisan Washington State Selection Committee process continues to produce exceptional candidates,” Murray said in a statement. Selection processes similar to Washington’s are becoming more common around the country, replacing a tradition in which a state’s senators informally choose nominees to send to the president, said University of Richmond Professor Carl Tobias, a judicial selection expert. The nomination also demonstrates the Obama administration’s push to nominate more women and minorities to federal judgeships, he said. “I’m not at all surprised that a woman was nominated,” Tobias said. “There are many districts that have not had a woman on the bench before, and to some extent, the White House is trying to rectify that.” The American Bar Association, which rates judicial appointment candidates before the president announces a nomination, unanimously found Peterson “qualified.” Of the 23 nominations received by the Senate Judiciary Committee this year, only seven, including Peterson, were rated below “unanimously well qualified.” The ABA generally gives higher rankings to sitting justices, Tobias said, which may well explain Peterson’s lower ranking. There is a backlog of judge nominations waiting on confirmation from the full Senate, with 20 nominees ahead of Peterson, so Tobias said he doubted her confirmation vote will come this year. Earl Martin, who worked with Peterson as dean of Gonzaga’s School of Law and is now GU’s acting academic vice president, said the university has been anticipating losing her to the federal bench. “You hate to lose her, but at the same time this is wonderful for her and frankly wonderful for the institution,” he said. “It’s a great honor for the place.” |
President Barack Obama this week forwarded to the Senate the name of University of North Dakota alum Rosanna M. Peterson as his nominee to serve on the District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.
