[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 22332]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION
    NOMINATION OF R. DAVID PROCTOR, OF ALABAMA, TO BE UNITED STATES 
          DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will now 
go into executive session and consider Executive Calendar No. 352, 
which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of R. David Proctor, of 
Alabama, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District 
of Alabama.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There are 2 minutes of debate equally divided 
on this nomination.
  Who yields time?
  The Senator from Alabama.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Madam President, I am delighted that David Proctor is 
moving forward, as I believe three other nominees are from New York. 
David Proctor was an outstanding student in his undergraduate studies 
at Carson Newman College. He served on the Law Review at the University 
of Tennessee. He was at the top of his class in law school. He clerked 
for Judge Emory Widener on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  He was a member of one of Alabama's largest and most prestigious law 
firms, Sirotte & Permutt. And then he formed his own firm: Lehr, 
Middlebrooks, Price & Proctor.
  He is a lawyer's lawyer, a practitioner who is in court on a regular 
basis, a man of great integrity and ability. I believe he is going to 
be a terrific Federal judge. He wants more than anything to give his 
life to serving the law. I think he will do that. It is a great honor 
for me to support his nomination.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I support the nominee who has been 
addressed by the Senator from Alabama.
  I yield back the remainder of my time and ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I am pleased today to speak in support of 
R. David Proctor, who has been nominated to the United States District 
Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
  Mr. Proctor graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee 
College of Law in 1986. Following his graduation, he clerked for the 
Honorable Emory Widener Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth 
Circuit.
  Mr. Proctor next entered private practice with the law firm of Sirote 
& Permutt, first as an associate and then as a partner. He left Sirote 
in 1993 to become a partner at Lehr, Middle-
brooks, Price & Proctor, where he currently practices law. He 
specializes in labor, employment and civil rights law, representing 
employers and public sector entities ranging from Fortune 500 companies 
to small businesses. Furthermore, he has authored numerous articles on 
employment law. In recent years, Mr. Proctor has augmented his 
litigation practice with mediation.
  I would like to share with my colleagues a letter sent to the 
committee in support of Mr. Proctor's nomination by Alex Newton, a 
partner in the Birmingham law firm of Hare, Wynn, Newell and Newton. 
Mr. Newton is a self-described ``lifelong active Democrat.'' He has 
known Mr. Proctor since the beginning of his legal career and highly 
recommends him to the bench. He writes that Mr. Proctor has ``broad 
experience . . . as an attorney. He is energetic, personable and 
blessed with absolute integrity. As a judge, I have no doubt he would 
rule without being influenced by race, creed, wealth or poverty of the 
litigant before him. He would serve . . . with distinction.''
  As this letter attests, Mr. Proctor is an experienced attorney who 
will be an asset to the Federal bench. I urge my colleagues to join me 
in supporting his nomination.

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