SCHUMER RECOMMENDS DENISE O’DONNELL, BUFFALO NATIVE, TOP DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICIAL & FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY FOR WNY, TO SERVE ON THE WESTERN DISTRICT COURT – IF CONFIRMED, O’DONNELL WOULD BE FIRST-EVER WOMAN TO SERVE ON FEDERAL BENCH IN BUFFALO
Denise O’Donnell Has Had Tremendous Legal Career, Serving As a Top
Criminal Justice Official at DOJ and NY State, As Well As The Former U.S.
Attorney for WDNY – O’Donnell Has Been a Dedicated Public
Servant for Almost Three Decades and Also Has Extensive Experience in
Private Practice
O’Donnell Is A True Daughter Of Buffalo, Born & Raised In The
City, and Graduated from SUNY Buffalo & UB Law – She Has a Sterling
Record, a Stellar Legal Mind and Extensive Experience in the Region
Schumer: O’Donnell Embodies Best Qualities of a Legal Professional
and Will Be Fair, Insightful and Moderate Judge
Last week, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that he is recommending current Director of the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York, Denise O’Donnell, to President Obama to serve as a judge in the United States District Court in the Western District of New York (WDNY). Denise O’Donnell would be the second woman to serve on the bench in the Western District, and the first-ever to sit in Buffalo. Schumer laid out several reasons O’Donnell would make an excellent fit for the job, saying that O’Donnell has a tremendous legal background, a proven commitment to public service, and a lifetime of experience in the Buffalo area, both as the former U.S. Attorney for the Western District and as someone born, raised, and educated in Buffalo. Schumer also pointed to various other qualities that would make her an excellent choice for the Western District federal court, including her even-handedness, patience, and analytical mind.
“I am honored to recommend Denise O’Donnell, a true daughter of Buffalo, to President Obama to be the first woman to serve on the Western District federal bench,” said Schumer. “Denise O’Donnell has a deep commitment to Buffalo – a city where she was born, raised, educated and raised her own family; she has unparalleled experience; and she has one of the best and brightest legal minds in all of New York. Most importantly, as a former United States Attorney for this region, as a lawyer in private practice, as New York state’s top criminal justice official, and as a top official in the federal Department of Justice, she has unparalleled experience and expertise needed to capably fill the seat. I am more than confident she will be a fair, insightful, and well-respected judge.”
Denise O’Donnell, if confirmed, will be only the second woman to serve on the bench in the WDNY and the first-ever to sit in Buffalo. The first woman to serve in the WDNY is Elizabeth Wolford, who was also recommended by Schumer and just began serving this year.
Denise E. O’Donnell currently serves as the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), which is part of the federal Department of Justice. In that role, O’Donnell works to develop and implement data-driven, research-based criminal justice policy and sound grant administration. BJA currently oversees a portfolio of over 10,000 open grants in excess of $5 billion dollars. Prior to joining BJA, O'Donnell served as the Deputy Secretary for Public Safety in New York State, overseeing 11 homeland security and criminal justice agencies, and as Commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, the state administrative agency for BJA funds. Director O'Donnell served as Chair of the New York State Commission on Forensic Science from 2009-2011 and as Chair of the New York State Commission on Sentencing Reform from 2010-2011. Prior to her service for New York State, O’Donnell was appointed United States Attorney by President Clinton in 1997 and served as the top federal prosecutor in western New York from 1997-2001. The most prominent case she worked on while a U.S. Attorney was the investigation into Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.
O'Donnell was born and raised in Buffalo, and she was educated in the city as well. She received her bachelor’s degree from Canisius College, graduating as a member of the first class to include women and as the first person in her family to graduate from college; she obtained a Master's Degree in Social Work from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and graduated summa cum laude from the University at Buffalo Law School.