President Biden Names Forty-Second Round of Judicial Nominees

The President is announcing his intent to nominate two individuals to federal circuit courts, three individuals to federal district courts, and three individuals to the District of Columbia Superior Court—all of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.

These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country—both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.
This will be President Biden’s forty-second round of nominees for federal judicial positions, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 203.

United States Circuit Court Announcements

1. Nicole G. Berner: Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Nicole G. Berner is General Counsel to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), where she has practiced as in-house counsel since 2006. Previously, Ms. Berner served as a staff attorney for Planned Parenthood Federation of America in Washington, D.C. from 2004 to 2006. She worked as a litigation associate at Jenner & Block LLP in Washington, D.C. from 2000 to 2004 after working as a visiting attorney at Yigal Arnon & Co. in Jerusalem, Israel, from 1999 to 2000. Ms. Berner served as a law clerk for Judge Thelton E. Henderson on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 1997 to 1998 and for Judge Betty B. Fletcher on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1996 to 1997. She received her J.D., Order of the Coif, from University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, and her M.P.P. from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley in 1996. She received her B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of California, Berkeley in 1988. She is a resident of Takoma Park, Maryland.

2. Adeel A. Mangi: Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Adeel A. Mangi is a partner at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. He began his legal career there as an associate in 2000, became counsel in 2009, and was elevated to partnership in 2010. Mr. Mangi received his LL.M. from Harvard Law School in 2000. He qualified as a Barrister and received his Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Legal Skills from the City University London Inns of Court School of Law in 1999 and his First Class Degree in Law from the University of Oxford, Pembroke College, in 1998.

United States District Court Announcements

1. Judge Amy M. Baggio: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Oregon

Judge Amy M. Baggio has been a judge on the Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland, Oregon since 2019. From 2013 to 2019, Judge Baggio worked as a solo practitioner at her own firm, Baggio Law, also in Portland. Previously, Judge Baggio served in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Oregon, first as a Research and Writing Attorney from 2002 to 2005 then as an Assistant Federal Public Defender from 2005 to 2012. Prior to that, she served as a staff attorney in the Portland Office of the Metropolitan Public Defender from 2001 to 2002. Judge Baggio received her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2001 and her B.A., cum laude, from Wake Forest University in 1995.

2. Judge Cristal C. Brisco: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

Judge Cristal C. Brisco has been a judge on the St. Joseph County Superior Court in South Bend, Indiana since 2021, and has concurrently served as a judge on the Indiana Commercial Court since 2022. She previously served as a magistrate judge for the Circuit Court of St. Joseph County in Mishawaka, Indiana from 2018 to 2021. Prior to that, Judge Brisco served as General Counsel to Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame from 2017 to 2018 and as Corporation Counsel for the City of South Bend from 2013 to 2017. She began her career as an associate at Barnes & Thornburg LLP where she worked from 2006 to 2013. Judge Brisco received her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2006 and her B.A., cum laude, from Valparaiso University in 2002.

3. Judge Gretchen S. Lund: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

Judge Gretchen S. Lund has been a judge on the Elkhart County Superior Court in Goshen, Indiana since 2015. She previously served as a judge on the Goshen City Court from 2008 to 2014. Before that, Judge Lund served as a deputy prosecutor in the Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office from 2006 to 2007. Judge Lund served as a law clerk for U.S. Magistrate Judge William T. Lawrence on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana from 2002 to 2006. She began her career as an associate at Ice Miller LLP in Indianapolis, Indiana from 2001 to 2002. Judge Lund received her J.D., summa cum laude, from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2001 and her B.A. from Butler University, cum laude, in 1998.

District of Columbia Superior Court Announcements

1. Judge Sherri Beatty-Arthur: Nominee for the District of Columbia Superior Court

Judge Sherri Beatty-Arthur has been a Magistrate Judge for the District of Columbia Superior Court since 2020. Previously, Judge Beatty-Arthur served as an Administrative Law Judge in the District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings from 2014 to 2020, as Chief of Human Resources for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia from 2012 to 2014, and as Executive Director of the District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings from 2010 to 2011. Prior to that, Beatty-Arthur worked as a partner at Arthur & Arthur PLLC from 2003 to 2010 and as an attorney at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission from 1999 to 2003. Judge Beatty-Arthur received her J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 1998; her MBA from University of Maryland, University College in 2011; and her B.A. from University of Maryland, College Park in 1995.

2. Erin C. Johnston: Nominee for the District of Columbia Superior Court

Erin C. Johnston is a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C. She began her legal career there as a litigation associate in 2007, became a litigation income partner in 2013, and was elevated to equity partnership in 2018. Ms. Johnston received her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2007 and her B.A., cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2003.

3. Ray D. McKenzie: Nominee for the District of Columbia Superior Court

Ray D. McKenzie is co-founder of WTAII PLLC, where he has practiced since 2019. Previously, Mr. McKenzie served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland from 2015 to 2019 and worked as an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Washington, D.C. from 2009 to 2015. He served as a law clerk for Judge James R. Spencer on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2008 to 2009. Mr. McKenzie received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2008 and his B.A. and Master of Teaching from the University of Virginia in 1998. He also earned a Master of Divinity from Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in 2003. Before attending law school, McKenzie taught fifth and sixth grade at public schools in Virginia.

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