[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 130 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CONGRATULATIONS TO KATHARINE SWEENEY HAYDEN

  MR. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I am very pleased that the Senate has 
so promptly taken up the nomination of Katharine Sweeney Hayden to 
serve as a Federal district court judge for the District of New Jersey.
  I had the high honor and privilege of recommending Judge Hayden to 
President Clinton this past February. After review, the President 
nominated her for this position on June 5, 1997. Judge Hayden's 
nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee just weeks 
later, on July 10, and now we have her nomination before the full 
Senate. Judge Hayden's nomination has moved this quickly, I believe, 
because she is a superb candidate who will make an outstanding judge.
  Mr. President, recommending candidates to the President for the 
Federal judiciary is one of the most important aspects of my job as a 
U.S. Senator. In making these recommendations, I know that I am helping 
to place someone on the Federal bench who will hold the law and the 
lives of thousands of Americans in her hands. This is an awesome 
responsibility and the bedrock on which our Government is founded--a 
system of justice based on the law. It is incumbent upon us in 
confirming a judge to know that she has a deep love, respect, and 
knowledge of the law, an intellect equal to the task, the temperament 
to preside fairly in the courtroom and treat all with the respect they 
deserve, and the skill to manage her cases and dispense justice with 
deliberation but also expedition. Judge Hayden meets all these tests 
and more.
  Mr. President, the respect and admiration for Judge Hayden among 
those who know her in New Jersey is unanimous. She possesses all of the 
skills and attributes needed to successfully shoulder the 
responsibilities of a Federal judge. Her experience in the U.S. 
attorney's office in New Jersey, in private legal practice, and as a 
State court judge provide a solid foundation for her upcoming Federal 
service.
  Mr. President, I can also tell the Senate that Judge Hayden possesses 
a sharp intellect and a keen analytic ability, exceptional courtroom 
demeanor, and a strong work ethic. She is held in high regard by all 
segments of the New Jersey legal community, and is strongly supported 
by her peers on the State and Federal bench. This high evaluation is 
shared by the litigants and lawyers whom she has represented, worked 
with, or have appeared before her.
  Katharine Sweeney Hayden will bring a breadth of experience--from the 
courtroom and elsewhere--to the Federal bench. She is currently a judge 
of the Superior Court of New Jersey--Criminal Division, sitting in 
Essex County.
  Judge Hayden received her undergraduate degree from Marymount College 
in 1963, and attended graduate school at Bowling Green State University 
and Seton Hall University, where she earned a master's degree in 
English literature in 1972 and served as adjunct professor of English.
  She received her law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law 
cum laude in 1975. Upon graduation, she clerked for the Justice Robert 
Clifford of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
  Upon completing her clerkship, Judge Hayden worked in the U.S. 
attorney's office in New Jersey, before establishing a private 
practice, which she pursued for 13 years. In recognition of her 
contribution to the legal profession and the esteem in which she is 
held by her colleagues, Katharine was elected as the first woman 
president of the Morris County Bar Association. She was appointed to 
the New Jersey bench in 1991.
  Mr. President, I am pleased to report that Judge Hayden has received 
a ``well qualified'' rating from the American Bar Association. This is 
the highest rating for a judicial nominee.
  In recognition of her talent, organizational skills, and knowledge of 
the law, Judge Hayden has been selected to undertake special 
assignments by the judiciary and State Bar Association of New Jersey. 
These assignments include service on professional committees on ethics 
as well as judicial committees on administrative, professional, and 
substantive matters. Most recently, she was chosen to develop and 
preside as the first judge of a drug court soon to be established in 
Essex County, NJ.
  Mr. President, I would also like to report to the Senate that Judge 
Hayden has stressed to me her view that a judge has a responsibility to 
be fair, to cherish the law and our Constitution, and to treat every 
lawyer and litigant before her with respect. She has also expressed to 
me her honor at being nominated for this appointment, and her deep 
commitment to serving the public and to administering justice fairly 
for all who appear before her.
  Mr. President, Katharine Sweeney Hayden has all of the personal 
attributes and professional qualifications one could wish for in a 
judge. And then some.
  So, Mr. President, I commend Katharine Hayden to the Senate and, 
anticipating her confirmation, congratulate her on her appointment, and 
wish her all the best in her new position. I am very proud to have 
recommended her to President Clinton. I hope she will serve on our 
district court for many years. I know she will serve with distinction, 
dispensing justice to each person who appears before her with 
compassion, fairness, and wisdom.
  Mr. President, I close by saying the country will be well served by 
the services of Katherine Sweeney Hayden on the bench. We look forward 
to having her on the court in New Jersey, and I am sure we will 
continue to hear only the finest about the work she has done and the 
character that she has brought to her decisions as part of the court.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I might 
be permitted to speak as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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