President Obama Nominates Six Judges to United States District Courts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Dana L. Christensen, Katherine B. Forrest, Justice John M. Gerrard, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Edgardo Ramos, and Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. for District Court judgeships.
 
"These individuals have demonstrated the talent, expertise, and fair-mindedness Americans expect and deserve from their judicial system," said President Barack Obama.  "I am grateful for their willingness to serve and confident that they will apply the law with the utmost impartiality and integrity."
 
Dana L. Christensen:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Montana
Dana L. Christensen is a civil litigator and named partner at the firm of Christensen, Moore, Cockrell, Cummings, & Axelberg, P.C. in Kalispell, Montana, a position he has held since 1996.  From 1981 to 1996, Christensen worked as a shareholder at the law firm of Murphy, Robinson, Heckathorn & Phillips, PC, and, from 1977 to 1981, worked as an associate at the law firm of Moulton, Bellingham, Longo & Mather, PC, both of which are located in Montana.  Christensen received his J.D. in 1976 from the University of Montana School of Law and his B.A. in 1973 from Stanford University.
 
Katherine B. Forrest:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Katherine B. Forrest is a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., a position she has held since October 2010.  Prior to joining the Department of Justice, she worked at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York, handling an array of commercial litigation with a particular focus on antitrust, copyright, and digital media.  Forrest worked at Cravath beginning in 1990, becoming a partner at the law firm in 1998.  She received her J.D. in 1990 from the New York University School of Law and her B.A., with honors, from Wesleyan University in 1986.
 
Justice John M. Gerrard:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska
Justice John M. Gerrard has been a Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, the highest court of the state, since 1995.  Prior to his appointment to the bench, Justice Gerrard was a senior partner at the law firm of Gerrard, Stratton & Ptak, PC, for five years.  From 1982 to 1990, Justice Gerrard was a partner at Domina, Gerrard, Copple & Stratton, PC, and from 1981 to 1982, he was a litigation associate at Jewell, Otte, Gatz, Collins & Domina.  Justice Gerrard received his J.D. in 1981 from the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, his M.P.A. in 1977 from the University of Arizona, and his B.S. in 1976 from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
 
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is a Superior Court Judge in Alameda County, California, where she has served since 2008.  Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Gonzalez Rogers served Alameda County as a pro tem judge from 2007 to 2008 and as a member of the civil grand jury from 2005 to 2007, serving as foreperson from 2006 to 2007.  Previously, she worked as a litigator in private practice at the law firm of Cooley Godward LLP (now Cooley LLP) in San Francisco from 1991 to 2003, where she was an equity partner from 1999 to 2001.  Judge Gonzalez Rogers received her J.D. in 1991 from the University of Texas School of Law and her A.B., cum laude, in 1987 from Princeton University.
 
Edgardo Ramos:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Edgardo Ramos has been a partner with the law firm Day Pitney LLP since 2002.  He also serves as a Commissioner on the New York City Commission to Combat Police Corruption, an appointment he has held since 2003.   Prior to joining Day Pitney, Ramos served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York from 1992 to 2002.  From 1987 to 1992, Ramos worked in private practice as an associate with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.  Ramos received his J.D. in 1987 from Harvard Law School and his B.A. in 1982 from Yale College.   
 
Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr.:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. serves as a Judge on Florida’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit, where he has presided over criminal, civil, and family law matters since 1995.  Prior to joining the bench, he spent a decade in private practice as both a sole practitioner and, from 1992 to 1993, at the law firm of Quinon, Strafer & Scola, as a criminal defense attorney representing a wide range of defendants in both state and federal courts.  Judge Scola began his law practice at the Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney, where he worked from 1980 to 1986.  He received his J.D., cum laude, in 1980 from Boston College Law School and his B.A. in 1977 from Brown University.