On Jan. 14, the New Jersey State Bar Association Board of Trustees passed the following resolution respectfully requesting that President Obama appoint a qualified woman to fill the Third Circuit judgeship that will be vacated upon the retirement of Judge MaryAnne Trump Barry.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Judge MaryAnne Trump Barry has served with distinction on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and has recently announced that she will retire from active service on the court, and

WHEREAS, there will therefore be a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit that is expected to be filled by someone from New Jersey, and

WHEREAS, after the departure of Judge MaryAnne Trump Barry from active service there will be 14 active judges sitting on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, only two of whom are women, neither from New Jersey, and

WHEREAS, there are currently 9 judges who have achieved senior status on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and only one of these judges is a woman, and

WHEREAS, it is important that the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit should better reflect the gender diversity evident in the federal districts it serves, and

WHEREAS, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals will benefit greatly from the appointment of a well qualified, dedicated and experienced woman from New Jersey to its bench,

BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the New Jersey State Bar Association respectfully recommends to President Barack Obama that he appoint a qualified woman attorney or lower court jurist to the vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit created by the retirement of Judge Maryanne Trump Barry from active status on the court.

Dated: January 25, 2011
Richard H. Steen, President