The District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission (“Commission”) has forwarded to President Barack Obama the names of three lawyers for his consideration in selecting a nominee to fill a judicial vacancy on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The President has sixty (60) days to select a nominee to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge A. Franklin Burgess Jr. The Commission recommends the following candidates to fill this vacancy:

 

Ann Marie Carroll has served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia since 1994. During her tenure, she has prosecuted the most serious cases in the District of Columbia, including homicides and adult and child sexual abuse cases, along with federal financial crimes and civil rights cases. Ms. Carroll has tried more than 50 cases in both the United States District Court and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and has briefed and argued more than 30 criminal appeals in both the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. She has received numerous awards from the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office for her work in sexual offense and homicide cases, as well as for sustained performance and for her volunteer service in the community. Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office, Ms. Carroll investigated allegations of whistleblower reprisal at the Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel. Ms. Carroll has a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communication and political science from the State University of New York at Oneonta, and earned her law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Following law school, Ms. Carroll served as a law clerk for Judge Hugh Gibson, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

 

William Ward Nooter is a Magistrate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Since his appointment in 2000, he has served in the Criminal and Civil Divisions, the Domestic Violence Unit and the Family Court. He is currently the Presiding Magistrate Judge and serves on the Chief Judge’s Judicial Leadership Team. Prior to his appointment to the Court, Judge Nooter was with the law firm of Jordan Coyne & Savits, where he tried civil cases in the District of Columbia and Maryland courts. He handled a broad range of cases, including personal injury actions, professional liability, employment, and insurance coverage issues. He also handled many jury trials and litigated complex motions in civil matters. From 1982 to 1989, Judge Nooter served as a trial attorney with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (formerly known as the Office of Corporation Counsel), defending the District of Columbia in numerous civil actions in the local and federal courts. Judge Nooter has a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts from St. John’s College, and earned his law degree with honors from the George Washington University Law School. Following law school, Judge Nooter served as a law clerk for Superior Court Judge Tim Murphy.

 

Steven Michael Wellner is Principal Administrative Law Judge for Unemployment Insurance Appeals for the District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings. Prior to his appointment in May 2006, Judge Wellner was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he focused on environmental counseling for corporations, trade associations, and clients involved in corporate transactions. In addition, Judge Wellner managed the pro bono legal services program for Kirkland & Ellis’s Washington, DC office and received the John Carroll Society Pro Bono Legal Service Award in 2004. He has served as a member of the board and treasurer of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. He also served as a director and officer of the DC/MD/VA Chapter of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association, and was a member of the Anacostia Watershed Citizens Advisory Committee. Judge Wellner has a Bachelor of Arts degree, with High Distinction, from the University of Virginia, and earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.

 

Questions concerning the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission should be directed to the Executive Director at (202) 879-0478 or via email at [email protected].

 

View a list of JNC Commission Members.