[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12117-12122]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

 NOMINATION OF VIRGINIA E. HOPKINS TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 
                  FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

                                 ______
                                 

 NOMINATION OF RICARDO S. MARTINEZ TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 
                 FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

NOMINATION OF GENE E.K. PRATTER TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE FOR 
                  THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will now 
proceed to executive session to consider nominations 563, 564, and 566. 
There will be 20 minutes of debate equally divided between the chairman 
and ranking members of the Judiciary Committee, or their designees. At 
the conclusion of 20 minutes, we will vote on the nominations, 
following which there will be a vote on the pending amendment.


                     Nomination of Virginia Hopkins

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise in support of the confirmation of 
Virginia Hopkins for the United States District Court for the Northern 
District of Alabama. I have reviewed her record and I find her to be an 
excellent choice for the federal bench. Virginia Hopkins possesses 25 
years of legal experience that will serve her well on the federal 
bench.
  Upon graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law in 
1977, Ms. Hopkins joined the Birmingham, Alabama law firm of Lange, 
Simpson, Robinson & Sommerville, LLP. There she had a broad civil 
practice that included appellate matters, tax and estate planning, 
business dispute resolution and planning, and labor disputes. She also 
worked for another widely respected law firm, Taft, Stettinius & 
Hollister LLP. in Washington D.C.
  In 1991, Ms. Hopkins returned to Alabama to join the firm of Campbell 
& Hopkins LLP., where she is currently a partner. Over the past 12 
years, she has developed a broad civil practice, including litigation, 
tax and estate planning, business dispute resolution and planning, 
trademark and copyright registrations and disputes, trade secret 
disputes, confidentiality agreement disputes, and trade name disputes.
  I am confident that she will make a fine addition to the Northern 
District of Alabama.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today we vote on the nomination of Virginia 
Hopkins to the Northern District of Alabama. Ms. Hopkins has been an 
attorney at the firm Campbell & Hopkins in Alabama, and has the support 
of both of her home State Senators. In particular, Senator Shelby 
deserves praise for diligently pressing forward, and this confirmation 
rewards his constant attention to this nomination. Senator Shelby has 
always been a pleasure with whom to work, whether I was serving as 
chairman or ranking member. Senator Shelby has always been someone who 
plays it straight and shows good judgment. He is fair and forthright.
  I must note that since May 18, the date of the agreement on judicial 
confirmations this year involving Senator Daschle, Senator Frist and 
the White House, the Senate has confirmed seven judges, including two 
circuit court nominees. We confirmed Marcia Cooke to the district court 
in Florida, Judge Van Antwerpen to the Third Circuit in Pennsylvania, 
and Ray Gruender to the Eighth Circuit the first week of that 
agreement. The following week, the Senate confirmed the nominations of 
Dennis Saylor, Sandra Townes, Ken Karas, and Judith Herrera to the 
Federal district courts.
  Last week, the Republican leadership did not schedule any judicial 
nominations for a vote and considered other business during that 
shortened work week. In the month since the agreement to have a floor 
vote on 25 judicial nominees, the Republicans have asked for votes on 
only seven judicial nominees and have scheduled debate on a variety of 
matters other than judicial nominees. That is their choice. The 
Republican leadership knows that some of the remaining nominees in the 
agreement for votes this year require significant time for debate.
  I do not want to see the Democrats blamed for any delay in 
confirmation votes when Republicans have been advised for weeks now 
that it is going to take time for the Senate to process all of the 
nominees in the agreement. Members of the Senate deserve time to 
consider the merits of the nominees for lifetime positions. Democrats 
have been working cooperatively on judges but the Republican leadership 
has not worked with us to schedule the debate and votes on the many 
remaining judicial nominees that we had hoped could be considered 
before June 25. After today's three votes, 15 judicial nominees remain 
to be scheduled for debates and votes. I hope that we can make progress 
on more nominees this week and next. At the pace the Republican 
leadership has chosen to proceed, there is now a strong likelihood that 
debate and votes on some of these judicial nominees will extend past 
June 25.
  On the occasion of the confirmation of this Alabama nominee, I would 
note that some in the Senate have falsely alleged that Democratic 
Senators have treated southern nominees unfairly. Some extreme 
partisans tried to divide

[[Page 12118]]

the American people for partisan political gain with their false 
accusations against Democratic Senators. The truth is that Democrats 
have treated judicial nominees from the South very fairly: Southern 
States comprise about 25 percent of the States in the Nation, yet out 
of the 181 judicial nominees of President Bush that we have confirmed 
as of this vote, 59 nominees, or one-third of the confirmed nominees, 
have been to judicial seats in the South. In particular, I would note 
that six of President Bush's judicial nominees have already been 
confirmed to United States district courts in Alabama since he took 
office: Judge Karon Bowdre, Northern District; Judge Callie Granade, 
Southern District; Judge Mark Everett Fuller, Middle District; Judge L. 
Scott Coogler, Northern District; Judge R. David Proctor, Northern 
District; and Judge William Steele, Southern District. Judge Steele, as 
you may recall, was initially nominated by President Bush to the 
Eleventh Circuit, but President Bush pulled down the elevation of this 
then-U.S. magistrate judge in order to put forward the even more 
controversial William Pryor, who was recess appointed earlier this year 
despite the serious objections of numerous Senators. Recent news 
articles about Judge Pryor's actions on the bench have only underscored 
the concerns of many that he lacks the political independence and 
fairness to serve as a judge.
  Ms. Hopkins received a partial ``Not Qualified'' rating from the 
American Bar Association. Following the White House's exclusion of the 
ABA from reviewing judicial candidates before they have the President's 
stamp of approval, a dismaying number of this President's nominees have 
received ``Not Qualified'' ratings. Indeed, four of his nominees were 
rated ``Not Qualified'' by a majority of the ABA rating committee, and 
24--more than 10 percent--were rated ``Not Qualified'' by some members 
of the ABA's standing committee.
  The weight that should be accorded an ABA rating was called into 
question after the debacle in which Republican partisan Fred Fielding 
prepared Miguel Estrada's ABA rating recommendation. Mr. Fielding not 
only served on the White House transition team advising the President 
about Cabinet appointments, he subsequently cofounded the Committee for 
Justice, which attacks anyone opposed to the President's judicial 
nominees. Similarly, the ABA's rating to Judge Pickering after his 
judicial ethics were called into question by national ethics experts 
undermined the confidence that some in the Senate had in the 
evaluations of the ABA's rating committee. Also, the ABA's ratings do 
not take into account the President's effort to put so many ideologues 
and extremists into these lifetime positions on the bench.
  In Ms. Hopkins' case, the ABA rating may reflect her modest trial 
experience: She has been the sole or chief counsel in only two of the 
cases she has tried to verdict. Ms. Hopkins has been active in 
Republican fundraising like many of the President's nominees, but I am 
hopeful, given the confidence Senator Shelby has reposed in her, that 
she will leave her partisan roots behind upon confirmation. Out of 
deference to Senator Shelby, I will vote in favor of her confirmation.
  I congratulate Ms. Hopkins on her confirmation.


                     Nomination of Ricardo Martinez

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I am pleased today to speak in support of 
Judge Ricardo Martinez, who has been nominated to the United States 
District Court for the Western District of Washington. Since 1998, 
Judge Martinez has served as a federal magistrate judge--an experience 
which undoubtedly has prepared him well for the district court bench.
  Judge Martinez has a compelling story. The son of former migrant 
workers, he lived in a migrant camp for several years during his 
childhood, where he worked with his parents on the farms. Neither he 
nor his parents understood English, but with the help of his teachers, 
he mastered the language and became the family's interpreter. He also 
became the first in his family to attend high school. Incidentally, he 
was one of two boys to graduate from high school with honors.
  Judge Martinez then attended the University of Washington, where he 
earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. He subsequently 
graduated from the university's law school, where he had been a member 
of the Order of the Coif.
  Following graduation from law school, Judge Martinez spent 10 years 
as an assistant prosecutor with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's 
Office where he became chief of the drug unit. After his appointment as 
a judge on the King County Superior Court in 1990, he started the 
State's first drug court, which allows those who are arrested on minor 
drug-related charges to have the charges dropped in exchange for 
staying drug-free, completing their education and seeking employment.
  I applaud President Bush for his nomination of Judge Martinez and am 
confident that he will serve on the bench with compassion, integrity 
and fairness.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today the Senate considers the nomination 
of Ricardo Martinez, to be a United States District Judge for the 
Western District of Washington. For the past 6 years, he has been a 
widely respected United States Magistrate Judge for the Western 
District of Washington. Previously, Judge Martinez served as a Superior 
Court Judge and as an assistant prosecutor in King County, WA. He is a 
graduate of the University of Washington and of the University of 
Washington Law School, and has substantial trial experience. In light 
of his significant judicial experience it is not surprising that he 
received a unanimous rating of ``Well-Qualified'' from the American Bar 
Association.
  Judge Martinez's nomination is the product of a bipartisan judicial 
nominating commission that Senators Murray and Cantwell insisted upon 
in spite of Bush administration opposition. The State of Washington is 
well-served by its bipartisan judicial nominating commission which 
recommends qualified, consensus nominees on whom members of both 
parties can agree. It is difficult to understand why President Bush has 
opposed similar bipartisan selections commissions since they help 
Democrats and Republicans work together and help maintain an 
independent judiciary. I thank Senators Murray and Cantwell for their 
steadfast efforts in maintaining the commission.
  While some people have accused Democrats of being anti-Hispanic, our 
record of confirming Hispanic nominees is excellent. Democrats have 
supported the swift confirmation of President Bush's Latino nominees 
already, with four more waiting only for a vote on the Senate floor. 
While President Clinton nominated 11 Latino nominees to circuit court 
positions, five of those 11 were blocked by the Republican Senate, and 
four of those five were not even granted hearings. President Bush has 
only nominated four Latino jurists to circuit court positions, three of 
whom have already been confirmed with unanimous Democratic support. 
President Bush's 21 Latino nominees constitute less than 10 percent of 
his 225 judicial nominees.
  Regrettably the President has been more concerned with nominating 
those affiliated with the Federalist Society. He has nominated 45 such 
nominees. Twice as many nominees have been affiliated with the 
Federalist Society as have been Hispanic. In fact, all of his Hispanic, 
Asian and African American judicial nominees combined do not equal the 
number of those affiliated with the Federalist Society.
  This confirmation marks the 182nd lifetime judicial appointment 
approved by the Senate during this Presidential term. That is more than 
is all of President Reagan's term from 1981 through 1984 and more than 
in all of President Clinton's more recent term from 1997 through 2000. 
We have also approved more judicial nominees this Congress than in 
either of the last two Congresses preceding the Presidential elections 
in 1996 or 2000.
  I strongly support his nomination and I congratulate Judge Martinez 
and his family on his confirmation.

[[Page 12119]]


  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, it is my privilege today to discuss the 
incredibly talented nominee for vacancy on the District Court for the 
Western District of Washington, Judge Ricardo Martinez. The people of 
western Washington will be well-served by this talented and fair 
jurist.
  Given Judge Martinez's reputation for even-handedness and 
thoroughness, it is fitting that he was recommended by a bipartisan 
selection committee that I believe is a sound model for other States. 
Members of Washington State's legal community, the White House, and my 
colleague Senator Patty Murray and I worked together to review a group 
of applicants. Together, we all agreed that Judge Martinez is the right 
person for the job.
  Judge Martinez has ably served the people of Washington State as a 
public servant for more than two decades: as prosecutor in the State's 
largest county for 10 years; as a Superior Court judge for 8 years; and 
as a United States Magistrate judge in the Western District of 
Washington for the past 5 years.
  While serving on the King County Superior Court, Judge Martinez took 
the lead in helping to create an innovative ``drug court'' to address 
the unique challenge of recidivism among drug offenders. He helped 
build a consensus to try a new approach, and preside over the new court 
for three years.
  And it worked. The``drug court,'' one of the first in the Nation, has 
helped reduce recidivism rates among those people who successfully 
complete the program and it has been emulated by many jurisdictions 
across the country.
  Judge Martinez's commitment to his community extends beyond the 
courtroom. He has volunteered countless hours to help those in need and 
the homeless; to mentor young people as a coach in several sports; and 
to raise money for college scholarships for young men from 
disadvantaged backgrounds.
  Those who have worked with Judge Martinez attest to his fundamental 
sense of fairness and justice. The ABA rated him as ``well-
qualified''--its highest rating--on a unanimous vote. He also enjoys 
support from the Federal bench, and was encouraged to apply for the 
vacancy by all of the incumbent judges of the Western District.
  I am pleased to offer Judge Ricardo Martinez my full support, and I 
urge my fellow Senators to approve his nomination.


                       Nomination of Gene Pratter

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the nomination 
of Gene Pratter to be United States District Judge for the Eastern 
District of Pennsylvania.
  Gene Pratter, has contributed much to the legal community over her 29 
year legal career, specifically in the areas of ethics and professional 
conduct. Upon graduation from University of Pennsylvania Law School, 
Ms. Pratter joined the law firm of Duane Morris & Heckscher--now Duane 
Morris LLP. She has remained with this firm since her first days as an 
associate and is currently a partner in and general counsel of the 
firm.
  She has represented numerous clients in commercial litigation and 
professional liability. She has also represented licensed law, 
financial and other professionals before State and national licensing 
boards and in litigation throughout the country in both federal and 
State courts. She has practiced in a variety of legal issues including 
litigation and alternative dispute resolution, with emphasis on 
commercial, securities, employment contract, real estate, insurance 
coverage, RICO, professional and business ethics, and professional 
liability litigation. She has also represented the Philadelphia Zoo.
  Additionally, Ms. Pratter has served as an expert witness and has 
overseen legal issues for her law firm, Duane Morris, for a number of 
years while also holding the position of vice-chair of the firm's Trial 
Department. She has also been named as a Judge Pro Tem in the 
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and a mediator for the U.S. District 
Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
  Ms. Pratter has been a guest faculty member at the University of 
Pennsylvania Law School, where she lectured on the legal profession and 
professional responsibility. She also served on the School's Board of 
Overseers from 1993 to 1999. She is active in numerous professional and 
community associations.
  I have every confidence that she will make an excellent federal 
judge. I commend President Bush for nominating her, and I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this nomination.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today we vote to confirm another district 
court nominee, Gene Pratter to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern 
District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Pratter is currently a partner at the 
firm Duane Morris LLP, where she has worked her entire career.
  A look at the Federal judiciary in Pennsylvania demonstrates yet 
again that President Bush's nominees have been treated far better than 
President Clinton's and shows dramatically how Democrats have worked in 
a bipartisan way to fill vacancies despite the fact that Republicans 
blocked more than 60 of President Clinton's judicial nominees. With 
this confirmation, 17 of President Bush's nominees to the Federal 
courts in Pennsylvania will have been confirmed--a rate not matched in 
any other State but California.
  With this confirmation, President Bush's nominees will make up 17 of 
the 42 active Federal circuit and district court judges for 
Pennsylvania--that is more than one-third of the Pennsylvania Federal 
bench. On the Pennsylvania district courts alone, President Bush's 
influence is even stronger as his nominees will hold 14 of the 33 
active seats--or more than 42 percent of the current active seats. With 
the additional Pennsylvania district court nominees pending on the 
floor and likely to be confirmed soon, nearly half of the district 
court seats in Pennsylvania will be held by President Bush's 
appointees. Republican appointees will outnumber Democratic appointees 
by nearly two to one.
  This is in sharp contrast to the way vacancies in Pennsylvania were 
left unfilled during Republican control of the Senate when President 
Clinton was in the White House. Republicans denied votes to nine 
district and one circuit court nominees of President Clinton in 
Pennsylvania alone. Despite the efforts and diligence of the senior 
Senator from Pennsylvania, Senator Specter, to secure the confirmation 
of all of the judicial nominees from every part of his home State, 
there were 10 nominees by President Clinton to Pennsylvania vacancies 
who never got a vote. Despite records showing them to be well-qualified 
nominees, many of their nominations sat idle before the Senate for more 
than a year without being considered. Such obstruction provided 
President Bush with a significant opportunity to shape the bench 
according to his partisan and ideological goals.
  Recent news articles in Pennsylvania have highlighted the way that 
President Bush has been able to reshape the Federal bench in 
Pennsylvania. For example, The Philadelphia Inquirer, on November 27, 
2003, said that the significant number of vacancies on the Pennsylvania 
courts ``present Republicans with an opportunity to shape the judicial 
makeup of the court for years to come.''
  Democratic support for the confirmation of Gene Pratter is yet 
another example of our extraordinary cooperation despite an 
uncompromising White House and a record that shows Republicans' refusal 
to cooperate on President Clinton's Pennsylvania nominees when they 
controlled the Senate and a Democrat resided at 1600 Pennsylvania 
Avenue.
  Like so many of President Bush's nominees, Ms. Pratter is a member of 
the Federalist Society and has been involved in numerous Republican 
Party campaigns. She has no judicial experience although she comes from 
a well- respected law firm. Her record of defending businesses raises 
concerns about her ability to balance business and individual 
interests. In her answers to my written questions, however, she assured 
me that she would be fair to all parties that come before her. I hope 
that she will be a person of her word. I

[[Page 12120]]

hope that she will follow the law. I hope that she will treat all who 
appear before her with respect. I hope she will not abuse the power and 
trust of her position. Sometimes we have to take a risk to allow a 
nominee to be confirmed.
  I congratulate Ms. Pratter on her confirmation today.
  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise to speak in favor of Gene 
Pratter, who is the nominee, as you noted, on the Executive Calendar 
for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
  Gene has an outstanding record of community service, of service to 
the legal community, working in very complex and difficult litigation 
with a large law firm in the city of Philadelphia. She is someone who 
has been active, as I mentioned, in the community and in political 
life, and is the kind of well-rounded individual who I think would make 
an excellent jurist on the court.
  She is someone I have gotten to know over the past 10 or 12 years, 
and I have respected her demeanor. She has a very professional but yet 
gentle way of discussing sometimes rather contentious issues in which 
we have been involved.
  Again, I respect the way she approaches issues that confront her. She 
has proven that she has outstanding legal abilities. She has proven 
that she understands the importance of community and the importance of 
being a good citizen and participating as a citizen beyond just the 
professional life, which to me, as a judge, is something that is very 
important.
  We have been fortunate under the leadership of Senator Specter in 
finding now 20 judges under this administration who have been 
nominated, and I believe the number is 17 or 18 who have been confirmed 
by the Senate. We have done a good job in finding people who are well 
rounded and people who have judicial experience and judicial 
temperament about which I spoke, as well as a record of community 
involvement and active citizenship which rounds out the person. So when 
they come to the bench, they are not just a narrow scholar or someone 
who is a ``hail fellow well met'' but a nice combination of the two 
that brings the kind of commonsense judicial temperament that is 
important in our court system.
  I commend Gene for her steadfastness in this process. As anybody who 
has gone through this process in the last couple of years will tell 
you, this is a difficult and somewhat tortuous process where you are on 
again, off again; You don't know whether your career is going to move 
forward or is going to stay in limbo. Is it going to fall off the 
docket and not be heard from again? That is a very difficult thing for 
all of these nominees to have to go through.
  But thanks to the agreement of Senator Frist and Senator Daschle, we 
have been able to move some of these nominations--the 
``noncontroversial nominations''--and we will now have a vote on Judge 
Pratter.
  I say for the Record again that because of the work Senator Specter 
has done with our bipartisan nominating commission we have in the State 
of Pennsylvania, we have been able to get Republicans and Democrats--I 
underscore Republicans and Democrats--nominated by this President.
  When there are two Republican Senators, we have a rule in 
Pennsylvania that the party in power--that means the President--will 
nominate three to his party to every one in the minority party, 
irrespective of, as I said before, the fact that we may have two 
Republican Senators and a Republican President. Out of every four 
nominees, we still nominate one Democrat to fill the bench to make sure 
there is a proper balance on the court, and even to some degree some 
little ideological balance on the court.
  We have been successful in getting soon to be 20 nominees approved by 
the Senate, which I think is a fairly admirable record if you consider 
the contentious attitude the judicial nominees have had to work through 
in the committee as well as in the Senate.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                   NOMINATION OF VIRGINIA E. HOPKINS

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I speak on behalf of a judicial nominee 
for the Northern District of Alabama, Virginia E. Hopkins. I join with 
Senator Richard Shelby of my State in moving her nomination forward 
with great enthusiasm. She is a woman of impeccable academic 
credentials, high in integrity, great legal experience and skill. She 
will do a great job on the Federal bench.
  She has a strong academic background. She graduated from the 
University of Alabama in 1974 as an undergraduate. She attended Agnes 
Scott College before that. Then she attended the University of Virginia 
Law School in 1977. She began her career as an associate attorney at 
the law firm of Lange, Simpson, Robinson & Sommer-
ville in Birmingham, AL. That is one of the great law firms in the 
State. The fact she was hired there in itself is a good commendation of 
what they thought were good legal skills and good judgment. She 
certainly would not have been selected at that firm had they not 
thought so at the time.
  She had at that firm a broad civil practice, including appellate 
matters, tax and estate planning, business dispute resolution, and 
planning in labor disputes. These things come up in Federal court, 
also.
  She left the firm after 2 years to join the law firm of Taft, 
Stettinius & Hollister in Washington, DC, where she established the 
firm's intellectual property practice and handled complicated trademark 
matters. It is a fine law firm in Washington for her to be part of.
  In 1991, however, she and her husband decided to return to her home 
of Anniston, AL, and to form the firm of Campbell & Hopkins where she 
is currently a partner.
  Over the past 12 years she developed a broad civil practice, 
including litigation, tax and estate planning and administration, 
business dispute resolution, and planning intellectual property cases.
  Simply stated, Virginia Hopkins has a number of career, academic, and 
professional achievements. Her experience will be an asset to the bench 
of the Northern District of Alabama.
  I know her children now are at the age of graduating from high 
school. She felt the need to come back to her roots to raise those 
children in the right way. Now she is so excited about the opportunity 
to serve her country and her Nation and the rule of law as a Federal 
judge. It is exciting to talk to her. It makes me pleased every time I 
do, to see how excited she is about this opportunity. I believe she is 
going to do a terrific job.
  I know Senator Shelby agrees with that. In fact, he propounded her 
nomination from the beginning. I know he believes in every way she will 
be a superb Federal judge. I am glad to see the senior Senator from 
Alabama in the Senate today, a distinguished lawyer in his own right.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
  Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I am pleased that we will soon be voting 
on the nomination of Virginia Hopkins for the United States District 
Court for the Northern District of Alabama. This nomination has been on 
the calendar for a number of months now and I am pleased that we are 
finally going to have an up or down vote.
  Virginia Hopkins is a highly qualified candidate. She will be an 
important addition to the Federal bench. Like others who know Virginia, 
I have a high regard for her intellect and her integrity. She is a 
woman of the law who understands and respects the constitutional role 
of the judiciary and, specifically, the role of the federal courts in 
our legal system.
  Having been a practicing attorney for more than a quarter century, 
Virginia has concentrated her legal practice in

[[Page 12121]]

wills and estate planning, as well as intellectual property law and 
civil litigation. Virginia has a strong record of trying cases in both 
the federal and state courts for a broad range of individual and 
corporate clients. Without question, I believe it is fair to say that 
Virginia Hopkins is an experienced and skilled attorney.
  In addition to being a devoted wife and mother of two children and a 
skilled attorney, Virginia is also active in her community. She has 
served on the board of the United Way of East Central Alabama, while 
also remaining active in her church. She is a graduate of the 
University of Alabama and also Virginia Law School.
  Again, I am pleased to support the nomination of Ms. Virginia Hopkins 
to the United States District Court for the Northern District of 
Alabama. I am confident that she will serve honorably and that she will 
apply the law with impartiality and fairness. I encourage my colleagues 
to join with me in supporting her nomination as I believe that she will 
serve our nation with the honor and dignity required of the federal 
judiciary.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. REID. How much time remains for the majority and minority?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority has 1 minute 44 seconds and the 
minority has 11 minutes.
  Mr. REID. Does the distinguished Senator from Pennsylvania wish us to 
yield part of our time?
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I would need 5 minutes to speak on behalf 
of the judicial nominee.
  Mr. REID. I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Pennsylvania of the 
time of the minority.
  Mr. SPECTER. I thank my distinguished colleague from Nevada for 
yielding the time. I have sought recognition to urge my colleagues to 
confirm Gene E.K. Pratter to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern 
District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Pratter comes to this position with a 
very distinguished academic career, having earned honors at Stanford 
University and her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 
1975.
  She is a partner in the prestigious law firm in Philadelphia of Duane 
Morris where she serves not only as a partner but as general counsel to 
the firm for their own matters.
  She has authored many very distinguished legal writings. She has 
served in many professional capacities as a judge pro tempore for the 
State courts, Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. She has 
been a mediator for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of 
Pennsylvania, so she has had extensive ancillary experience before 
becoming a Federal judge.
  I have had the opportunity to know Ms. Pratter personally for about a 
decade and can personally attest to her intelligence and demeanor. She 
will be an outstanding judge.
  She had been recommended to the President by Senator Santorum and 
myself after she received approval from a nonpartisan judicial 
selection commission which advises Senator Santorum and I as to 
judicial recommendations to the President. This is a group which has 
functioned for all of my tenure in the Senate, going back 24 years when 
Senator Heinz and I had this panel in existence. It has been carried 
forward. As I say, it is in existence now by appointment from Senator 
Santorum and myself.
  I am especially pleased to find this confirmation occurring today. We 
had to postpone the induction ceremony for Ms. Pratter some time ago 
when there had been some disagreements as to how we would proceed. We 
had hoped for this confirmation last week, and, of course, it has been 
delayed because of the ceremonies involving the funeral and other 
matters related to former President Reagan. But I am especially pleased 
to have it concluded today because a swearing-in has been scheduled in 
Philadelphia for Friday at 2 o'clock. So Ms. Pratter, who I am sure is 
watching, and others will know that the commitment can go forward. That 
is in anticipation of a favorable vote, which I think is virtually 
certain to be forthcoming.
  Mr. President, it would take a great deal of time to give the details 
of Ms. Pratter's extensive biographical resume and accomplishments, so 
I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             Gene E.K. Pratter, Partner and General Counsel

       Gene E.K. Pratter is a partner in and General Counsel of 
     Duane Morris LLP. She frequently represents clients in 
     commercial litigation and professional liability and 
     licensing matters. Ms. Pratter has represented licensed law, 
     financial and other professionals before state and national 
     licensing boards and in litigation throughout the country in 
     federal and state courts.
       A 1975 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law 
     School and an honors graduate of Stanford University, Ms. 
     Pratter is a member of the American Bar Association's 
     Litigation Section and the Philadelphia Bar Association's 
     Committees on Professional Responsibility and Professional 
     Guidance, of which she was chair from 2000 through 2001. In 
     addition, she is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar 
     Association's Women in the Profession Committee. Ms. Pratter 
     served as the co-chair of the ABA Litigation Section's 
     Committee on Ethics and Professionalism and recently 
     concluded her tenure as the co-chair of the Section's Task 
     Force on the Independent Lawyer.
       A member of the University of Pennsylvania's American Inns 
     of Court, she is the author of a number of articles 
     concerning ethics and professional conduct and has presented 
     many programs for practitioners on those and other subjects. 
     Ms. Pratter frequently serves as an expert witness and 
     advises lawyers and law firms concerning professional 
     responsibility and professional liability matters, and she 
     has overseen legal issues for Duane Morris itself for a 
     number of years while also holding the position of vice-chair 
     of the firm's Trial Department. She has also been named as a 
     Judge Pro Tem in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and a 
     mediator for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District 
     of Pennsylvania. Ms. Pratter was an Overseer of the 
     University of Pennsylvania Law School from 1993 to 1999. She 
     is active in numerous professional and community 
     associations.


                           areas of practice

       Alternative Dispute Resolution;
       Commercial and Real Estate Litigation;
       Employment Contract Litigation;
       Insurance Coverage Litigation;
       Professional and Business Ethics Counseling and Litigation;
       Professional Liability Litigation--Accountants, Actuaries, 
     Architects, Attorneys, Brokers, Engineers, Fiduciaries, 
     Insurance Professionals, Management Consultants, Title 
     Insurers;
       RICO Litigation;
       Securities Litigation;
       Reinsurance Litigation.


                        professional activities

       American Bar Association--Section of Litigation, Co-Chair, 
     Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee, 1994-1998, 
     Co-Chair, Task Force on the Independent Lawyer, 1995-present, 
     Commission on Women in the Profession, Tort and Insurance 
     Practice Section, Business Law Section, Center for 
     Professional Responsibility;
       Pennsylvania Bar Association--Civil Litigation Section, 
     Education Law Section, Mentor, State Civil Committee, Women 
     in the Profession Committee;
       Philadelphia Bar Association--Professional Responsibility 
     Committee, Chair, Professional Guidance Committee, Committee 
     on Women in the Profession;
       Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers;
       Defense Research Institute;
       Pennsylvania Defense Institute;
       University of Pennsylvania Law School Inn of the American 
     Inns of Court;
       Federalist Society;
       St. Thomas More Society.


                               admissions

       Pennsylvania;
       United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit;
       United States District Court for the Eastern District of 
     Pennsylvania.


                               education

       University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., 1975.

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I again thank my colleague from Nevada 
and yield the floor.
  Mr. REID. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Chafee). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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