05.01.24

Senate Confirms Georgia Alexakis To Serve As United States District Court Judge Forthe Northern District Of Illinois

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Georgia Alexakis to be a United States District Court Judge forthe Northern District of Illinois:

“We are pleased that the Senate has confirmed Georgia Alexakis to serve as a United States District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.  She has the qualifications, integrity, and judgment to serve with distinction and will strengthen our federal bench.”

In August 2023, Durbin and Duckworth established a screening committee to review applicants to be a Federal District Court Judge in the Northern District of Illinois.  The committee carefully evaluated candidates by reviewing their professional records and application questionnaires, contacting references, and conducting interviews, and submitted their findings and recommendations to the Senators.  Durbin and Duckworth interviewed the finalists, reviewed their records, and consulted with each other regarding the finalists’ qualifications. 

In November 2023, the Senators sent a letter to the White House recommending six candidates for President Biden’s consideration for current and future vacancies in the Northern District of Illinois, including Georgia Alexakis.  On February 21, the White House announced its intent to nominate Ms. Alexakis.  Durbin introduced her at her Judiciary Committee nominations hearing in March.

Last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Ms. Alexakis’ nomination to the full Senate.

Ms. Alexakis’ biography from the White House is below:

Georgia Alexakis to be United States District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois

Georgia N. Alexakis has been an Assistant United States Attorney and the Chief of Appeals for the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois since 2022. She previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in that office from 2013 to 2021. From 2021 to 2022, Ms. Alexakis worked as a partner at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP in Chicago. From 2008 to 2012, she was an associate and then a partner at Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP, also in Chicago. Ms. Alexakis served as a law clerk for Judge Milton I. Shadur on the U.S. District Court forthe Northern District of Illinois from 2007 to 2008 and forJudge Marsha S. Berzon on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2006 to 2007. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2006 and her A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard University in 2000. Between college and law school, from 2000 to 2003, Ms. Alexakis worked as an associate and then as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group in Chicago.

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