Barbara Boxer: “I rise today to vigorously support the confirmation of Caitlin Halligan to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms.…”

“I rise today to vigorously support the confirmation of Caitlin Halligan to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Halligan is an exceptionally qualified nominee, and the D.C. Circuit needs her. I urge all my Senate colleagues to join me in voting for her. The breadth and depth of Ms. Halligan's legal experience and expertise are very impressive. After law school, she clerked for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and for Judge Patricia Wald on the D.C. Circuit, the court to which she has been nominated. She continued her public service as the solicitor general of the State of New York for 6 years, spent some time in the private sector, and is currently general counsel at the New York County District attorney's office, an office that investigates and prosecutes 100,000 criminal cases annually in Manhattan. Throughout her career, Ms. Halligan has served as counsel of record in nearly 50 matters before the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing five cases before that court and many cases before Federal and State appellate courts. Her legal and oral advocacy training is as extensive as any nominee that the Senate has confirmed. One of the reasons I wanted to speak about Ms. Halligan today is because her reputation precedes her. The American Bar Association's nonpartisan standing committee on the Federal Judiciary unanimously rated Ms. Halligan ``well-qualified'' to serve on the D.C. Circuit, the highest possible rating.…”