Susan P. Watters

Susan Pamela Watters (born June 8, 1958) is an American attorney serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana. She is the first female judge to serve in the District of Montana.[1]

Susan P. Watters
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana
Assumed office
December 18, 2013
Appointed byBarack Obama
Preceded byRichard F. Cebull
Personal details
Born (1958-06-08) June 8, 1958
Billings, Montana, U.S.
EducationEastern Montana College (BA)
University of Montana (JD)

Early life and education

Watters was born in 1958, in Billings, Montana.[2] She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1980 from Eastern Montana College. She then received a Juris Doctor in 1988 from the University of Montana School of Law.

Career

From 1988 to 1989, she served as a law clerk to two different judges on the Thirteenth Judicial District Court of Montana. From 1989 to 1995, she served as a Deputy County Attorney in Yellowstone County, Montana. From 1995 to 1996 she was a sole practitioner focusing on criminal defense. From 1996 to 1998, she practiced both civil and criminal litigation at the law firm of Hendrickson, Everson, Noennig & Woodward, P.C. in Billings, Montana. From 1998 to 2013, she served as a judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District Court of Montana.[3][4]

Federal judicial service

On May 23, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated Watters to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana, to the seat vacated by Judge Richard F. Cebull, who took senior status on March 18, 2013. Her nomination was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 19, 2013. Cloture was invoked on her nomination on December 12, 2013 by a 58–39 vote.[5] She was confirmed later that day by a 77–19 vote.[6] She received her judicial commission on December 18, 2013.[4]

Personal life

Watters was previously known as Susan Pamela Dunn, Susan Pamela Elsberry and Susan Pamela Klein.[2]

See also

References
  1. Making History: President Obama’s Female Judicial Nominees, Alliance for Justice (June 11, 2013).
  2. "Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire" (PDF).
  3. "President Obama Nominates Three to Serve as District Court Judges". whitehouse.gov. 23 May 2013 – via National Archives.
  4. Susan P. Watters at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  5. "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Susan P. Watters, of Montana, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Montana)". 12 December 2013 – via United States Senate.
  6. "On the Nomination (Confirmation Susan P. Watters, of Montana, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Montana)". 12 December 2013 – via United States Senate.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.