[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 69 (Thursday, May 8, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2846-S2847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NOMINATION OF THEODORE REED MITCHELL TO BE UNDER SECRETARY OF EDUCATION

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the clerk 
will report the Mitchell nomination.
  The bill clerk read the nomination of Theodore Reed Mitchell, of 
California, to be Under Secretary of Education.
  Mr. FRANKEN. Mr. President, I yield back all time on the nomination.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The question is, Will the Senate 
advise and consent to the nomination of Theodore Reed Mitchell, of 
California, to be Under Secretary of Education?
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The President will be immediately 
notified of the Senate's action.
  Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, earlier today the Senate confirmed Indira 
Talwani to fill a judicial vacancy on the District Court for the 
District of Massachusetts.
  Ms. Talwani's nomination came after she was recommended to me for 
this position by the Advisory Committee on Massachusetts Judicial 
Nominations. The Advisory Committee is comprised of distinguished 
members of the Massachusetts legal community, including prominent 
academics and litigators, and is chaired by former Massachusetts 
district court judge Nancy Gertner. The Advisory Committee's 
recommendation reflects the strength of Ms. Talwani's resume, the 
exceptionally warm reviews she received from those who have worked with 
her, and the firm conviction of the Massachusetts legal community that 
she will make an excellent district court judge.
  Indira Talwani is the daughter of immigrants from India and Germany. 
She graduated with honors from Harvard University, and was later named 
Order of the Coif at Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of 
California, Berkeley. Immediately after law school, Ms. Talwani spent 1 
year serving as a law clerk to Judge Stanley A. Weigel on the U.S. 
District Court for the Northern District of California, building 
practical experience that will serve her well as a district court 
judge. She subsequently worked for several years as an associate and 
later as a partner at the firm Altschuler, Berzon, Nussbaum, Berzon & 
Rubin in San Francisco, before moving in 1999 to join Segal Roitman, 
LLP in Boston, where she is currently a partner.
  Ms. Talwani has an impressive track record as a litigator, having 
represented clients in matters before the Massachusetts State trial 
courts and appeals courts, as well as the district court to which she 
has been nominated, the Federal Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme 
Court.
  In addition to her broad credentials and wide litigation experience, 
Ms. Talwani has developed particular expertise in legal issues that 
relate to employment. She is the associate editor of a treatise on the 
Family and Medical Leave Act compiled by the American Bar Association. 
Her work representing an investment advisor whistleblower who was 
allegedly retaliated against for reporting accounting irregularities to 
her supervisor earned her the distinction of being named one of 
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's Top 10 Lawyers for 2010, and she 
recently won a victory in that case on appeal before the U.S. Supreme 
Court.
  Ms. Talwani is also committed to public service, providing pro bono 
representation to indigent clients. She has worked with Greater Boston 
Legal Services to ensure that low income clients have access to 
counsel.
  Ms. Talwani's nomination is strongly supported by the Asian American 
Lawyers Association of Massachusetts. Asian Americans are a fast-
growing segment of our State's population, and that growth is reflected 
in our State bench--which currently has 10 Asian American judges. 
Remarkably, when confirmed, Ms. Talwani will be the first

[[Page S2847]]

individual of Asian descent to serve on the Federal bench in 
Massachusetts.
  Indira Talwani is a first-rate litigator with impressive credentials. 
Her unique professional and personal background will bring important 
perspective to the Federal bench in Massachusetts. I am proud to have 
recommended her to President Obama, and I have no doubt that she will 
have a long and distinguished career on as a member of the judiciary.

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