Former Public Defender and Civil Rights Attorney Poised to Replace Judge Emmet Sullivan on D.C. District Court
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Washington D.C.’s lone member of Congress, announced on Thursday that she was backing former public defender Jia Cobb to replace Judge Emmet Sullivan on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“Jia Cobb possesses all the necessary qualities to be an exceptional federal judge,” Norton said in a statement. “She has the intelligence, temperament, and integrity for this position. She also brings much-needed racial and professional diversity to the federal bench.”
Norton’s recommendation will carry significant weight in President Joe Biden’s process for nominating a replacement for Sullivan, who announced he would take senior status soon after Biden’s inauguration. The White House in January granted Norton “senatorial courtesy” for U.S. District Court judges, the U.S. Attorney, and the two U.S. Marshals for the District of Columbia. Under the long-standing though non-binding custom, presidents will defer to the senior senator sitting in the state with appointment vacancy, generally not moving forward on a candidate without that lawmaker’s approval. Due to D.C.’s unique non-state status and non-representation in the Senate, Norton has been afforded the courtesy by former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, though former President Donald Trump did not do so.
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/former-public-defender-and-civil-rights-attorney-poised-to-replace-judge-emmet-sullivan-on-d-c-district-court/