07.08.24

Ahead Of Confirmation Vote, Durbin Calls On Colleagues To Support Judge Maldonado's Nomination To Serve As Circuit Court Judge For The Seventh Circuit

In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin speaks on Judge Maldonado's extensive background—will be the first Hispanic judge to serve on the Seventh Circuit

WASHINGTON – Ahead of the confirmation vote on the nomination of Judge Nancy Maldonado to be a United States Circuit Court Judge for the Seventh Circuit, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged his colleagues to support Judge Maldonado’s nomination. Once confirmed, Judge Maldonado will be the first Hispanic judge to serve on the Seventh Circuit.

Durbin said, “Since the beginning of the Biden Administration, the Senate has confirmed 201 highly qualified, independent, [and] even-handed judges to the federal bench. They represent the best of our legal system—demographically and professionally diverse; they respect the rule of law; they adhere to precedent; and they answer only to the Constitution. We should add another to that list today: Judge Maldonado, an accomplished litigator and a distinguished juror who will be a great asset to the Seventh Circuit.”

After graduating from Harvard College and Columbia Law School, Judge Maldonado clerked for U.S. District Judge Rubén Castillo, an esteemed jurist on the Northern District of Illinois. Following her clerkship, Judge Maldonado spent nearly 20 years at a firm specializing in plaintiff-side employment, civil rights, and fraud matters. Over the course of her career, she tried several cases to verdict, judgment, or final decision. Judge Maldonado was appointed by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in 2010 to serve as a Special Assistant State’s Attorney, tasked with investigating fraud alleged by a whistleblower. From 2019 to 2022, she was appointed by the Illinois Attorney General to serve as a consent decree monitor in two matters and as a Special Assistant Attorney General to investigate consumer fraud.

Judge Maldonado currently serves as a United States District Court Judge on the Northern District of Illinois. In July 2022, the Senate confirmed Judge Maldonado to this position on a bipartisan vote of 53-45. 

“Since her confirmation, she has presided over almost 1,000 cases—that’s in a matter of just two years—plus ruled on thousands of motions and issued approximately 300 substantive decisions. Notably, Judge Maldonado has never been reversed by a reviewing court in that period of time… Despite what her critics have to say, her record is one of the best. This shows that she carefully resolves cases in a way that ensures litigants feel they’ve been treated fairly. Once confirmed, Judge Maldonado will be the first Hispanic judge to ever serve on the Seventh Circuit—history will be made,” Durbin continued.

“Judge Maldonado has my strong support and the support of her other home-state Senator, my good friend Senator Tammy Duckworth. Judge Maldonado incidentally received a unanimous ‘Well Qualified’ rating from the American Bar Association based on her integrity, professional competence, and judicial temperament. She has broad support from across the legal community, from law enforcement to labor unions representing millions of members. I urge my Senate colleagues to join me in confirming this highly qualified nominee,” Durbin concluded.

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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