SCHUMER-RECOMMENDED ATTORNEY ALISON J. NATHAN OFFICIALLY NOMINATED TO SERVE ON SOUTHERN DISTRICT COURT
Nathan Would Be Only Third Openly Gay Woman To Serve On Federal Bench
As a Former White House Legal Advisor and Clerk for Supreme Court Justice Stevens, Nathan Has The Exemplary Legal And Public Service Record To Make A Great Judge
Schumer: Nathan Is A Dedicated Public Servant Who Will Make An Excellent Judge
Last week, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that Alison J. Nathan, whom Schumer recommended to President Obama in February, has been officially nominated by the President to serve as a judge in the prestigious Southern District federal court.
"I am thrilled that the President has nominated Alison to serve as a federal judge from New York on the Southern District bench," said Schumer. "Through her work in the New York Solicitor General's Office and the White House, she has proven to be an extremely capable attorney and a dedicated public servant. She is a first-class legal mind who will bring tremendous experience and skill to the bench."
Nathan is a graduate of Cornell University and received her JD from Cornell Law School where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. She then served as law clerk to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Betty Fletcher and then to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Nathan worked for several years at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr before accepting teaching and research positions at Fordham and New York University Law schools.
In 2009, she was appointed as Special Assistant to the President and Associate White House Counsel where she advised the Executive Office on judicial and legal affairs. Currently, Nathan serves as Special Counsel to the Solicitor General on New York where she was awarded the 2010 Louis J. Lefkowitz Memorial Award in recognition of her work on behalf of the Attorney General and the People of the State of New York.
Nathan is also a member of and strong advocate for the LGBT community. During the 2008 presidential campaign, she served as a senior advisor to the Obama campaign and on its LGBT advisory committee. If confirmed, Nathan would be only the third openly gay woman to serve on the federal court.