President Obama Nominates Two to the United States District Court

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Ronnie Abrams to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and Rudolph Contreras to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.   

“I am honored to put forward these highly qualified candidates for the federal bench,” President Obama said.  “They will be distinguished public servants and valuable additions to the United States District Court.”

Ronnie Abrams:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Ronnie Abrams is Special Counsel for Pro Bono at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, a position she has held since 2008.  Previously, Abrams served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York from 1998 to 2008, where she served as Acting Chief of the General Crimes Unit from 2004 to 2005, Chief of the General Crimes Unit from 2005 to 2007, and Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division from 2007 to 2008.  From 1994 to 1998, Abrams was an associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.  She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas P. Griesa of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 1993 to 1994.  Abrams earned a J.D. in 1993 from Yale Law School and a B.A. in 1990 from Cornell University.

Rudolph Contreras:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Rudolph Contreras has been an Assistant United States Attorney for the past 17 years, representing the federal government in civil litigation.  For the past five years, Contreras has served as Chief of the Civil Division in the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia, having previously served in the same position in the District of Delaware from 2003 to 2006.  Prior to beginning his service as a government attorney in the District of Columbia in 1994, Contreras spent three years as an associate at Jones Day.  He received his J.D. cum laude in 1991 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and his B.S. in 1984 from Florida State University.