[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 184 (Wednesday, December 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S6963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Nomination of Noel Wise

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm 
Noel Wise to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of 
California.
  Born in Cherry Hill, NJ, Judge Wise earned her B.S. at the University 
of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1989; her J.D., cum laude, from Nova 
Southeastern University Law School in 1993; and her J.S.M. from 
Stanford Law School in 2002. After graduating from law school, Wise 
served as a law clerk to Justice Harry Lee Anstead on Florida's Fourth 
District Court of Appeals.
  Between 1994 and 2002, Judge Wise served in various roles at the 
Department of Justice, including as a trial attorney in the 
environmental enforcement section from 1999 to 2002 and the 
environmental crimes section from 1998-1999; on detail as an assistant 
U.S. attorney from 1997 to 1998; and as an honors trial attorney from 
1994 to 1997.
  From 2002 to 2004, Judge Wise worked as of counsel at Stoel Rives, 
LLP, advising clients on civil and criminal environmental law, land 
use, energy, and grand jury inquisitions. She also litigated and 
settled civil and criminal cases in State and Federal court. From 2004 
to 2006, Judge Wise worked first as in-house counsel and later as the 
acting director/manager renewable power generation at Pacific Gas and 
Electric Company, PG&E. Before her judicial service, Wise ran her own 
law firm--Wise Gleicher--from 2006 to 2014.
  Since 2014, she has served as a judge on the Superior Court of 
California in Alameda County. During this decade of service, she has 
held several additional roles in the California judiciary, including 
working as a judge and supervising judge in the family law division; 
being a panel judge and supervising judge in the appellate division; 
and holding those same roles in the State's civil division.
  Judge Wise has issued at least 10,000 written decisions that are 
substantive orders or appealable judgments. In addition, she has 
conducted approximately 500 settlement conferences, presided over 
thousands of hearings, and issued approximately 290 decisions while 
serving on the appellate division.
  The American Bar Association unanimously rated Judge Wise as ``well 
qualified,'' and her nomination is strongly supported by her home State 
Senators, Mr. Padilla and Ms. Butler.
  Judge Wise's judicial experience, coupled with her experience in 
public service and private practice, have prepared her to serve the 
Northern District of California honorably as a district judge.
  I am proud to support her nomination.