Durbin, Kirk judge five local lawyers ready for the bench
With three vacancies on the federal bench in Chicago, the names of five area lawyers have been shipped to President Barack Obama for consideration for judgeships.
The recommendations by Illinois' two senators are not binding on Obama, whose nominations for federal judgeships must be confirmed by the full Senate.
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin announced four recommendations Wednesday:
• Julie Bauer, who is a partner at Winston & Strawn and lives in River Forest. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law. She was a defense lawyer for former Gov. George Ryan, now serving a prison term for corruption.
• Edward Feldman, who is a partner at Miller Shakman & Beem and lives in Evanston. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School.
• John Z. Lee, who is a partner at Freeborn & Peters and lives in Barrington. He graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1992, so overlapped there for two years with Obama, a '91 grad.
• Sheldon Zenner, who is a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman and lives in Evanston. He graduated cum laude from the Northwestern University School of Law. Zenner is a former federal prosecutor.
On Tuesday, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) made one recommendation: John Tharp, a partner at Mayer Brown and former federal prosecutor. Tharp graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern Law School and lives in Oak Park.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, all five of the recommended lawyers and employees of their law firms have made political contributions to candidates and committees.
Bauer has given $7,500 to federal candidates, mostly Democrats, since 1995. She gave then-Texas governor and presidential hopeful George W. Bush $1,000 and Obama $1,500. Since 1996, employees of her firm, Winston & Strawn, in Illinois have given $148,485 to Obama; $149,950 to Bush; $26,200 to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; and $9,200 to Durbin.
Feldman has given $1,500 to Obama. Lawyers at his firm in Illinois have given $21,750 to Democratic candidates, including $14,500 to Obama, since 2007.
Lee has given $2,550 to Obama and $500 to Durbin since 2004. Employees of his firm in Illinois have given $200,382 to federal candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, since 1994. The figure includes $21,100 to Obama, $6,000 to Bush and $4,600 to McCain.
Zenner has given $7,674 to Democrats since 2004, including $3,300 to Obama. Employees of his firm in Illinois have given $206,467 in political contributions since 2004, most to Democrats, including $83,616 to Obama and $23,00 to Durbin.
Tharp has given $3,250 to candidates since 2002, favoring Democrats but giving $500 to Kirk. Employees of his firm in Illinois, since 1992, have given $226,564 to Obama; $45,418 to Durbin; $43,600 to Bush; $32,800 to McCain; and $28,434 to Kirk.
Durbin's office said he made his recommendations with the help of a 10-member screening committee and consulted on his choices with the junior senator. Kirk's office said he used a 14-person advisory board to screen applicants.
Aides to the lawmakers say they will adhere to an Illinois tradition, the 3-to-1 rule: Kirk, whose party is not in the White House, will make recommendations for one federal district court judgeship for every three judgeships for which Durbin, whose party holds the presidency, forwards recommendations.