[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 18903]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      NOMINATION OF LAWRENCE BLOCK

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, it is my sincere pleasure to rise in 
support of the nomination of Lawrence Block to the United States Court 
of Federal Claims.
  Larry hardly needs an introduction, since he has served on the staff 
of the Judiciary Committee for the past eight years. Those of us who 
have worked with him know that he is an incredibly talented lawyer 
whose broad legal experience spans private practice, all three branches 
of the Federal Government, and academia.
  Larry earned a B.A. degree from New York University magna cum laude 
before earning his law degree from The John Marshall Law School in 
1981. He began his legal career as a clerk for the Honorable Roger J. 
Miner, who at the time was a U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern 
District of New York and who now sits on the Second Circuit Court of 
Appeals. After his clerkship, Larry worked as an associate in the high-
powered New York office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, 
where his practice included constitutional claims pertaining to 
Commerce Clause and commercial speech issues, as well as litigation 
involving financial services, mergers and acquisitions, securities, 
labor law, and administrative law.
  After several years in private practice, Larry returned to public 
service, and served with distinction in the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, 
and Clinton Administrations. From 1986 to 1990, he worked in the U.S. 
Department of Justice, first in the Commercial Litigation Branch, then 
as Senior Attorney-Advisor in the Office of Legal Policy and Policy 
Development. From 1990 to 1994, Larry served as Acting General Counsel 
for Legal Policy and Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Legal Policy 
at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he spearheaded a number of 
complex legal projects. Despite his demanding workload, he found time 
to teach as an adjunct professor at George Mason University School of 
Law.
  In 1994, I was able to persuade Larry to leave the executive branch 
to come work for me. I have first-hand knowledge of his legal talents, 
and have nothing but respect for his abilities, especially in light of 
the significant health-related obstacles that he has overcome. Several 
years ago, Larry suffered a debilitating stroke during heart surgery. 
Although his prognosis was grim, Larry defied the odds by making a full 
recovery. He is now in excellent health. I know that Larry is proud of 
having overcome this temporary setback, and I have no doubt that he 
will take to the federal bench the same perseverance that aided his 
recovery.
  During his tenure on my staff, Larry has amply demonstrated his keen 
legal mind. But, just as importantly, he has shown repeatedly his 
fairness and willingness to listen to all sides of an issue before 
exercising his judgment. This is why he is a staffer admired and 
respected on both sides of the aisle.
  I will miss Larry's sage advice and counsel, but our loss will be the 
gain of the Court of Claims, where I am confident that Larry will serve 
as an impartial judge who will follow precedent to achieve uniformity 
and consistency in the law. I wish him all the best.

                          ____________________