Rep. Susan Wild Statement on White House Judicial Nominees

Congresswoman Susan Wild released the following statement in response to today's announcement of new White House judicial nominees, including a candidate to fill the vacancy in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania:

"I am disappointed that so many highly qualified attorneys from the Greater Lehigh Valley have once again been passed over by the federal court judicial selection process to fill the vacancy in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania left by the untimely death of Judge Edward Smith, himself a lifelong Lehigh Valley resident. Despite there being nearly 1,000 attorneys in the Greater Lehigh Valley, two federal courthouses, and dozens of elite law firms, the selection process has once again yielded a Philadelphia attorney. While I offer no aspersions on the new nominee's character or qualifications, Philadelphia does not represent the entire Eastern District, and geographic diversity on the federal bench is critical. As a litigator who often appeared in federal court, I always found our local federal judges to be of the highest caliber, with a special understanding of our community's people and places. I hope that due consideration will be given to future vacancies to ensure equal access to justice for all, whether from big cities or smaller communities."

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