Nomination of Pamela K. Hamamoto to be Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations with the Rank of Ambassador

Floor Speech

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Ms. BALDWIN. Madam President, I rise this afternoon to urge my colleagues to confirm James Peterson for the United States District Court of the Western District of Wisconsin.

I will start where my colleague left off, which is to state that I am proud to have worked with Senator Johnson to put in place a nonpartisan Federal Nominating Commission and a process for moving judicial nominations forward, because the people of Wisconsin deserve to have experienced and highly qualified judges working for them, and they deserve to have judicial vacancies filled on a timely basis.

Addressing vacant Federal judgeships in Wisconsin has been a top priority of mine since I was sworn into the Senate last year. I thank Senator Johnson for working to find common ground with me on this very important issue for Wisconsin.

Together, we believe James Peterson will be an outstanding Federal district judge, and his experience, qualifications, and expertise will serve the Western District of Wisconsin and our Nation very well.

James Peterson was among those recommended by our nominating commission, and together Senator Johnson and I submitted his name to the White House for consideration. I am so pleased President Obama nominated him to serve and that his nomination was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

For the last 14 years Jim's professional life has been devoted to the practice for the firm Godfrey & Kahn in Madison, WI, where he is the leader of the firm's intellectual property litigation working group. His work on behalf of his firm's national clients has been substantially before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

Outside of his practice Jim is a leader in the Western District Bar Association, the mission of which is to work with attorneys, the court, and the public to facilitate the just, speedy, respectful, and efficient resolution of all matters before the court--qualities that have been the hallmarks of the Western District of Wisconsin. In an effort to foster the next generation of great lawyers, Jim is a member of the adjunct faculty of the University of Wisconsin Law School where he has taught copyright law and public speaking workshops.

I am proud to join Senator Johnson in supporting this nomination, and I am proud to come before my colleagues and ask my colleagues to confirm this judgeship. Mr. Peterson's confirmation today will end a vacancy that has lasted for more than 5 years and has been declared a judicial emergency. We are most grateful for the tireless commitment of soon-to-be really retired Judge Barbara Crabb who has filled in during this vacancy, and we are very grateful for her commitment.
Senator Johnson and I agree on this nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, and our joint support should send a strong message to the entire Senate that he is the right choice for this judgeship. I urge my colleagues to confirm James D. Peterson so he can serve the people of Wisconsin and our Nation.

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