Obama nominates Wright Allen to be Hampton Roads' newest federal judge

President Barack Obama has nominated Arenda L. Wright Allen, a Norfolk-based assistant federal public defender, to be Hampton Roads' newest federal judge.

Wright Allen — who would be the first black female federal district judge in Virginia — was recommended for the post in June by Sens. Mark R. Warner and Jim Webb. In recent years, Wright Allen has supervised the Federal Public Defender's Office in Norfolk.

The senators on Thursday touted Wright Allen's "wide breadth of experience," including her work as an assistant U.S. attorney and as a lawyer with the Navy Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, before going to the public defender's office.

If confirmed, Wright Allen would take the place of U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Friedman, who is going into semi-retirement.

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Also on Wednesday, Obama nominated Judge Michael F. Urbanski, a magistrate judge in the Western District of Virginia, to fill an open slot there. Urbanski has been a magistrate judge since 2004, working in private practice before that.

If the recent nominations aren't acted upon by year's end, Obama will have to resubmit the nominations for the new Senate term in January.



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