[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 160 (Wednesday, December 12, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S7974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NOMINATION OF JOHN DOWDELL

  Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, I rise to speak of the confirmation of 
John Dowdell of Tulsa, OK, to a seat on the District Court for the 
Northern District of Oklahoma.
  Mr. Dowdell is a native of Tulsa and a graduate of Bishop Kelly High 
School. Mr. Dowdell received his B.A. from Wake Forest University in 
1978 and his J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1981. 
Following law school, he served for two years as a law clerk to the 
Honorable William J. Holloway of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. He 
then joined the firm of Norman & Wohlgemuth as an associate. In 1987, 
he was promoted to partner and the firm became Norman Wohlgemuth 
Chandler & Dowdell. Mr. Dowdell's practice areas include complex 
litigation and appellate work. He has been involved with six cases 
before the U.S. Supreme Court and has litigated before the Tenth 
Circuit Court of Appeals on numerous occasions.
  In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Dowdell serves as an Adjunct 
Settlement Judge in the Northern District of Oklahoma. In this capacity 
he has conducted over 50 mediations on a pro bono basis. He has also 
performed extensive pro bono work for several criminal appellate cases 
and his alma mater, Bishop Kelley High School. Additionally, Mr. 
Dowdell is a member of the Editorial Board of the Oklahoma Bar 
Association, a former president of the Bishop Kelley High School Board 
of Directors, and was appointed by the mayor to serve on Tulsa's Public 
Facilities Board.
  Mr. Dowdell has received numerous honors for his legal practice, 
including being rated as one of Oklahoma's ``Super Lawyers'' from 2006 
through 2011 and being named a Top Commercial Litigation Lawyer by 
American Litigation Magazine. He also was the recipient of the 
Distinguished Service Award of the American Inns of Court in 1993 and 
the Jack R. Givens Award for Professionalism and Service in 1998. The 
Oklahoma Bar Association Board of Governors has endorsed Mr. Dowdell's 
nomination to this judicial position and passed a resolution praising 
his demeanor, intelligence, and legal skills.
  I firmly believe the rule of law is the foundation of our great 
Nation. By confirming judges of high character and integrity such as 
Mr. Dowdell, who are committed to the principles established by our 
Founders, we will ensure our Federal court system continues to dispense 
fair and predictable justice to all. I thank my colleagues for joining 
me in supporting John Dowdell's confirmation to the District Court for 
the Northern District of Oklahoma.

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