[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 145 (Wednesday, September 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the next nomination.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of
Stephanie A. Gallagher, of Maryland, to be United States District Judge
for the District of Maryland.
Thereupon, the Senate proceeded to consider the nomination.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise today to urge the Senate to confirm
the nomination of Stephanie Gallagher of Maryland to be a U.S. District
Judge for the District of Maryland. This is a noncontroversial
nomination which the Senate should be able to confirm in short order.
Judge Stephanie Gallagher brings tremendous experience to the
courtroom as a sitting U.S. magistrate judge in Baltimore, as well as
being a former prosecutor, private law firm attorney, and judicial law
clerk. Her strong roots in the Maryland legal community, tremendous
understanding and respect for the rule of law, and willingness to
volunteer her time in service outside the courtroom make her an
exceptional nominee. I was pleased to recommend Judge Gallagher's
nomination to President Trump, along with Senator Van Hollen.
I must note for my colleagues that I originally recommended Judge
Gallagher's nomination to President Obama along with Senator Mikulski,
back in 2015, given the impending retirement of Judge William Quarles
in 2016. Judge Gallagher's nomination has actually been favorably
recommended by the Judiciary Committee on three separate occasions, in
2016, 2018, and now in 2019. Most recently, on June 20, 2019, the
Judiciary Committee favorably recommended Judge Gallagher to the full
Senate for confirmation by a vote of 21-1.
I want to thank Senator Van Hollen for working with me to ensure we
seek out the best attorneys in our State for Federal judicial
vacancies, which are lifetime appointments and one of the most
important obligations we have as U.S. Senators. We have recommended
judicial nominations to the President that have made Marylanders proud
of our Federal courts.
Stephanie Gallagher, of Baltimore, MD, has been a U.S. magistrate
judge in Baltimore since April 2011. As a magistrate judge, Judge
Gallagher works closely on a daily basis with district court judges,
the very position she has been nominated for today. In her current
position as a magistrate judge, Judge Gallagher convenes settlement
conferences, resolves discovery disputes, and prepares reports and
recommendations on dispositive motions. With the consent of the
parties, Judge Gallagher can take jurisdiction over civil cases. In
consent cases, she becomes the presiding judge, making all rulings in
the case and overseeing the trial. In this capacity, she has presided
over civil bench and jury trials. She has served as the criminal duty
judge on a rotating basis with her colleagues, where she presides over
preliminary proceedings in felony cases and handles misdemeanor cases,
including those occurring at Federal military installations in
Maryland.
Previously, Judge Gallagher was a partner and cofounder at Levin &
Gallagher LLC, now Levin & Curlett, for 3 years, served as an Assistant
U.S. Attorney in Baltimore for 6 years, and was a litigation associate
at Akin Gump in Washington, DC, for 2 years. She practiced in a wide
variety of legal issues, including complex civil litigation, employment
disputes, constitutional issues, criminal defense, and criminal
prosecution.
Judge Gallagher began her legal career as a law clerk for then-Chief
Judge J. Frederick Motz of the U.S. District Court for the District of
Maryland from 1997 to 1999. She received her J.D. in 1997 from Harvard
Law School, graduating cum laude, and received her B.S. in government
from Georgetown University in 1994, graduating magna cum laude.
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has declared this
Maryland seat as a judicial emergency, based on the length of the
vacancy and the caseload of the court.
Judge Gallagher was given the rating of unanimously well qualified by
the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal
Judiciary, which is their highest possible rating.
Judge Gallagher brings tremendous experience and credentials to the
courtroom as a sitting U.S. Magistrate Judge in Baltimore, as well as
being a former prosecutor, private law firm attorney, and judicial law
clerk. Her strong roots in the Maryland legal community and fantastic
understanding and respect for the rule of law make her an exceptional
nominee. I was pleased to recommend Judge Gallagher's nomination to
both President Obama and President Trump. I am confident that she will
serve the people of Maryland extremely well once she is finally
confirmed for this lifetime appointment as a U.S. District Judge for
the District of Maryland.
I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this nomination and confirm
Judge Gallagher.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of the
confirmation of Judge Stephanie Gallagher to serve as a Federal judge
for the U.S. District Court of Maryland. Judge Gallagher has an
impressive legal background and has provided years of service to the
State of Maryland.
She is currently a U.S. magistrate in Maryland having served in this
capacity since 2011. Moreover, she has occupied the position of
Assistant U.S. Attorney office for the State of Maryland. Finally, she
clerked for the Honorable J. Frederick Motz, a Judge in Maryland's
Federal district court.
Judge Gallagher has been lauded repeatedly as a rising star, as one
of Maryland's Super Lawyers, and has received a number of awards and
commendations from a number of Federal agencies.
Moreover, she has strong academic credentials having graduated from
Harvard Law School, J.D. cum laude. I cannot think of anyone more
qualified to occupy this critical position at this important time and
am grateful for her nomination and the Senate's overwhelming support
for her confirmation to serve as a Judge in Maryland's Federal District
Court.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and
consent to the Gallagher nomination?
The nomination was confirmed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.