OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Judicial Nominations

Floor Speech

Date: Oct. 19, 2021
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, this week, the Senate will consider Christine O'Hearn's nomination for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Ms. O'Hearn is eminently qualified to be a district court judge.

She has nearly 30 years of experience as a litigator in private practice. During that time, she has tried numerous cases to verdict and has completed more than 150 trial days as lead counsel.

Ms. O'Hearn has worked on both the plaintiff and defense sides of complex civil litigation matters, with her core focus being employment law.

In addition to representing individual clients, Ms. O'Hearn has represented both private and public entities, including a number of county and municipal governments.

Throughout her career, Ms. O'Hearn has also given back to the legal community. For example, she has served on the New Jersey Supreme Court's Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law; the U.S. Magistrate Judge Selection Committee for Camden, NJ; and the New Jersey Supreme Court District IV Ethics Committee.

While serving on the New Jersey Supreme Court's Ethics Committee, Ms. O'Hearn devoted hundreds of hours--pro bono--to prosecuting an attorney for violating the New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct. After a 15- day trial before a Special Master, the attorney was found to have violated multiple Rules of Professional Conduct. Ms. O'Hearn also briefed and argued the case on appeal, where the ruling was affirmed.

Numerous groups and individuals have written letters of support for Ms. O'Hearn's nomination, including: the New Jersey State Bar Association, the Camden County Bar Association, and dozens of New Jersey Fellows with the American College of Trial Lawyers.

With her extensive experience, it is no surprise that Ms. O'Hearn was unanimously rated ``well qualified'' by the American Bar Association.

Ms. O'Hearn has the strong support of her home state Senators, Senators Menendez and Booker, and she received bipartisan support in the Judiciary Committee.

With decades of legal experience on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants alike, Ms. O'Hearn is well prepared to serve with distinction in the District of New Jersey.

I urge my colleagues to join me voting in support of her nomination.

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