The District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission (“Commission”) has forwarded to the President the names of the three lawyers below for his consideration in selecting nominees to fill the judicial vacancy on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals created by the retirement of the Honorable Eric T. Washington. The President has sixty (60) days to select a nominee to fill this vacancy.
Joshua Deahl, Esq. is an attorney in the appellate division of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (“PDS”). In this capacity, he handles the appeals of indigent criminal defendants who have been convicted of serious offenses, and frequently appears before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Prior to his work at PDS, Mr. Deahl was Counsel in the Supreme Court and Appellate Practice at O'Melveny & Myers in Washington, DC, where he briefed cases in a majority of the United States Circuit Courts of Appeals, as well as various state appellate courts. He recently co-authored, with Professor Richard D. Friedman, a textbook and practitioner's guide entitled The Federal Rules of Evidence:Text and History (West 2015). Mr. Deahl received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was an Articles Editor on the Michigan Law Review and the student commencement speaker. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in philosophy and political science from Arizona State University. Following law school, Mr. Deahl served as a law clerk to the Honorable Fortunato P. Benavides of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, then for the Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor (Ret.) of the Supreme Court of the United States, and then for the Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Deborah Jeffrey, Esq. has served as the Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service since July 2012, following confirmation by the United States Senate. She has played an active role in the Inspector General community as a member of its Integrity Committee. Ms. Jeffrey spent most of her career in private practice as a partner in the law firm of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, where she represented organizations and individuals in highstakes commercial and criminal litigation; defended senior government officials in highprofile criminal, Inspector General, and congressional investigations; and represented lawyers and law firms on matters of professional ethics, risk management, and professional liability. Appointed by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals as Vice Chair of the Board on Professional Responsibility, Ms. Jeffrey oversaw the attorney disciplinary system and enforced the Rules of Professional Conduct. She is the author of more than 30 opinions in disciplinary prosecutions. Ms. Jeffrey holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University and a JD from Harvard Law School, where she was Editor in Chief of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Following law school, Ms. Jeffrey served as a law clerk for the Honorable Harrison L. Winter, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Geoffrey M. Klineberg, Esq. is a member of the law firm of Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, P.L.L.C. He practices primarily in the areas of administrative law and appellate litigation. From 2012 to 2013, Mr. Klineberg served as Counselor on International Law in the United States Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser, where he provided advice on a wide variety of litigation matters. Mr. Klineberg currently serves as a member of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law. He also advises clients on the applicability of the Rules of Professional Conduct, having served for seven years on the DC Bar Legal Ethics Committee, including three years as Chair. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Klineberg served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Attorney General in the United States Department of Justice. Mr. Klineberg holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations magna cum laude from Princeton University and a Masters of Philosophy degree in International Relations with distinction from Balliol College, Oxford University. He earned his law degree from Yale University and was an Articles Editor on the Yale Law Journal. Following law school, Mr. Klineberg served as a law clerk for the Honorable Jose A. Cabranes of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, then for the Honorable Patricia M. Wald of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and then for the Honorable Harry A. Blackmun of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Please direct any questions to the Commission’s Executive Director at (202) 879-0478 or [email protected].
Members of the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission
Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan, Chair
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
United States Courthouse
333 Constitution Avenue, NW
Chambers 4935-Annex
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 354-3260
[email protected]
Ronald S. Flagg, Esq.
Legal Services Corporation
3333 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 295-1620
[email protected]
Mr. William Lucy
1831 Sudbury Lane, NW
Washington, DC 20012
(301) 520-0576
[email protected]
John J. McAvoy, Esq.
3110 Brandywine Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 966-8544
[email protected]
Addy R. Schmitt, Esq.
Miller & Chevalier, Chtd.
900 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202)626-5837
[email protected]
Rev. Morris L. Shearin, Sr.
Israel Baptist Church
1251 Saratoga Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20018
(202) 269-0288
[email protected]
Benjamin F. Wilson, Esq.
Beveridge & Diamond, PC
1350 I St NW, #700
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 789-6023
[email protected]