L.A. Judge Confirmed to 9th Circuit Post

The U.S. Senate on Friday unanimously confirmed U.S. District Judge Kim M. Wardlaw of Los Angeles as a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judge.

Wardlaw, 44, was nominated for the post by President Clinton in January, just 25 months after the Senate--at Clinton’s recommendation--had confirmed Wardlaw for a seat on the District Court bench. U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) recommended Wardlaw for both posts and said she was “absolutely delighted.”

Wardlaw graduated with honors from UCLA and UCLA Law School. Prior to being named a judge, she was a partner in the litigation department of O’Melveny & Myers, one of the state’s largest law firms.

“I’m extremely happy and grateful that the president nominated me and the Senate confirmed me,” Wardlaw said Friday. “I’m very excited about joining the circuit and looking forward to the challenge, but I’m going to miss my colleagues on the district court very much.”

Wardlaw expects to assume her new position in the near future after completing several cases pending before her. She is the third woman to be confirmed to the 9th Circuit in recent months.

The nominations of two other candidates for the 9th Circuit--U.S. District Judge Richard Paez of Los Angeles and UC Berkeley law professor William A. Fletcher--have been hung up in the Senate for some time. In fact, Wardlaw was nominated and confirmed to both of her judgeships while Fletcher’s nomination has languished since April 1995.