VIEW VIDEO OF FULL SPEECH HERE
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) spoke on the Senate floor urging her colleagues to confirm Clark County District Court Judge Cristina Silva and UNLV Law Professor Anne Traum to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. In her speech, Senator Rosen urged Senate colleagues to vote in favor of these highly qualified nominees who have already received bipartisan support during this nomination process. Last night, cloture was invoked on both nominees with strong bipartisan support, setting up their confirmation vote in the upcoming days.
In December 2021, Senator Rosen introduced Judge Silva and Professor Traum during their Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, where they received a bipartisan vote of support. Both nominees were selected by the White House from a list of candidates vetted by the bipartisan judicial commission established by Senators Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).
Watch Senator Rosen’s full remarks here.
Below are Senator Rosen’s floor remarks as delivered:
Mr. President, I rise today in support of the nominations of Judge Cristina Silva and Professor Anne Traum, nominees to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.
Both nominees have built tremendous careers and legal reputations, and last night, cloture was invoked on both of these nominees with strong bipartisan votes
Judge Silva has spent the bulk of her legal career as a federal prosecutor in the city of Las Vegas, where she served as Chief of the Criminal Division.
In this role, Judge Silva oversaw all criminal investigations and prosecutions in the Nevada U.S. Attorney’s office.
She has gained vast experience dealing with federal criminal trials, including violent criminal cases, civil rights violations, and cybercrime.
And since 2019, Judge Silva has served with distinction as a Nevada state court judge, where she has earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues as well as those who have appeared before her in court.
Colleagues have called her “intellectually gifted and extremely hard-working” and have commended her “deep commitment to the rule of law.”
These are exactly the kinds of qualities we need in someone nominated to serve on the federal bench, and they are qualities that Judge Silva exemplifies.
I know she will serve with independence and integrity.
For her part, Professor Anne Traum has also developed a distinguished legal career — one rich with examples of her commitment to the law and to public service.
She has litigated civil cases with the U.S. Attorney’s office, served as a Department of Justice trial attorney, and has worked for years on criminal cases as a federal public defender.
Since 2008, Professor Traum has dedicated her career to helping shape the minds of Nevada’s future lawyers as a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas’ Boyd Law School.
A deeply admired teacher, Professor Traum has gone above and beyond, founding a clinic to provide legal services to parties in Las Vegas who lack resources, and volunteering significant time to pro bono programs in Southern Nevada.
Professor Anne Traum has worked to ensure that all individuals have adequate representation to defend their rights – that all individuals have access to our justice system.
And there is no better way to judge a professor than by the opinion of her students.
In Professor Traum’s case, her students regularly credit her courses as the most important course in their legal school careers.
The bipartisan judicial selection commission that Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and I put together fully vetted both of these nominees.
And we both worked hand-in-hand with the White House to ensure that they were chosen for their exemplary qualifications, intellect, and passion for the law.
I was glad to see that both Professor Traum and Judge Silva’s nominations received bipartisan support – both as they advanced through the Senate Judiciary Committee, and during last night’s cloture vote.
These highly qualified nominees for the U.S. District Court are fully deserving of your support now, and I urge each of my colleagues to vote for their confirmation next week.
Nevada’s federal district court has been under enormous strain, with delays driving up the costs to businesses and individuals pursuing their claims in court.
Filling the vacancies with these nominees would ensure that Nevadans have fair and reasonable access to federal courts.
It is time to confirm these nominees and I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of Judge Cristina Silva and Professor Anne Traum.
Thank you.
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