Members of the bench, bar, and public are hereby notified by the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission (the ‚Commission‛) that a vacancy on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals will occur as a result of the retirement of the Honorable Kathryn A. Oberly, effective November 1, 2013. Within 60 days following a vacancy, the Commission shall send to the President of the United States the names of three persons for possible nomination and appointment to the Court. DC Code § 1-204.34. Accordingly, the Commission invites qualified individuals to apply for this vacancy.

Pursuant to DC Code § 1-204.33(b), no person may be nominated or appointed a judge of a District of Columbia court unless the person—

• is a citizen of the United States;
• is an active member of the unified District of Columbia Bar and has been engaged in the active practice of law in the District for the five years immediately preceding the nomination or for such five years has been on the faculty of a law school in the District, or has been employed as a lawyer by the United States or the District of Columbia government;
• is a bona fide resident of the District of Columbia and has maintained an actual place of abode in the District of Columbia for at least 90 days immediately prior to the nomination, and shall retain such residency while serving as such judge;
• is recommended to the President, for such nomination and appointment, by the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission; and
• has not served, within a period of two years prior to the nomination, as a member of the District of Columbia Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure or the Judicial Nomination Commission.

All persons interested in applying for this judicial vacancy shall review and comply with the Application Instructions for Judicial Vacancies on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on the Commission’s website. (See www.jnc.dc.gov) Applicants shall submit an original and one paper copy of their complete application materials to the Executive Director. All application materials and correspondence shall be addressed to Kim M. Whatley, Executive Director, Judicial Nomination Commission, 515 Fifth Street, NW, Suite 235, Washington, DC 20001. Incomplete or outdated application materials will not be considered. All application materials shall be received by the close of business on September 20, 2013.

Applicants shall also email a copy of their Letter of Interest, Resume, Applicant Questionnaire, and writing samples, in separate PDF format files to the Executive Director and to each Commission member. The email subject line shall include the applicant’s name and shall state that the email contains application materials for a judicial vacancy. If the writing samples are too voluminous to send electronically, so indicate in the email and send paper copies of those documents to each Commission member by mail or courier service.

The Commission does not require letters of recommendation, letters of support, or endorsements, but will accept them. Such letters shall be received by the Commission by October 11, 2013. Applicants and persons wishing to submit letters should consult the Application Instructions for Judicial Vacancies on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on the Commission‘s website (www.jnc.dc.gov) for additional information on the procedures for submitting letters.

Questions concerning the judicial vacancy application process shall be directed to the Commission’s Executive Director at (202) 879-0478 or [email protected].

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