Members of the bench, bar, and public are hereby notified by the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission (“Commission”) that the four-year term of the Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby as Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals (“D.C.C.A.”) will expire effective March 17, 2021.
The Commission is responsible for designating the Chief Judge of the D.C.C.A. pursuant to D.C. Code § 1-204.31(b). Active judges of the D.C.C.A. are eligible to apply for designation to a term of up to four years as Chief Judge by submitting a statement of interest and complete set of application materials to the Commission. Chief Judge Blackburne-Rigsby is eligible for redesignation and has notified the Commission of her interest in being redesignated. Any individual, organization, or bar association may submit a written nomination of an eligible active judge for the position of Chief Judge, with the consent of the judge.
All statements of interest, nominations, and application materials must be received by the Commission by no later than 12:00 p.m. on Monday, November 16, 2020. Statements of interest and nominations must address the candidate’s: (a) interest in court administration; (b) administrative and management ability and experience; (c) ability to lead the Court and to promote a sense of cooperation and collegiality among the judges, the Court staff, and other governmental and non-governmental entities; (d) ability to promote confidence in the Court and the judicial system; and (e) ability to provide intellectual leadership. Application materials, including instructions, are available on the Commission’s website: jnc.dc.gov. On May 4, 2020, the Commission announced amended application requirements due to COVID-19, informing applicants for the office of Chief Judge that a new medical examination is not required for the medical certification form, but rather applicants’ health care providers may provide certification based on existing medical records.
Application materials may be submitted by hard copy, or they may be submitted online by using a secure portal, available on the Commission’s website at: jnc.dc.gov. If submitting materials by hard copy, applicants shall submit both an original and a paper copy of their complete application materials to the Commission.
The Commission will publish the candidates’ names and statements of interest. Comments on candidates from the bench, bar, and public are welcome, and must be received no later than 5:00 pm on December 18, 2020. The Commission will provide an online evaluation form to facilitate the submission of comments once all applications have been received. Consult the application instructions on the Commission’s website for additional information on the procedures for submitting comments and letters.
Questions should be directed 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]
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
Black Lives Matter Plaza
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 626-5837
[email protected]
Benjamin F. Wilson, Esq.
Beveridge & Diamond, PC
1350 I St NW, #700
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 789-6023
[email protected]
The Honorable Marie C. Johns
PPC-Leftwich
1400 K Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005-2403
(202) 434-9124
[email protected]
Professor Deborah Epstein
Georgetown University Law Center
600 New Jersey Avenue, NW
Suite 334
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 662-9675
[email protected]