Nomination of Angel Kelley

Floor Speech

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Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the confirmation of Judge Angel Kelley to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

In a legal career that has already spanned almost 30 years, Judge Kelley has excelled in everything she has done, and she has done a lot. She has been a trial attorney, a legal instructor, and a State court judge in my home State of Massachusetts.

She has devoted her entire professional career to serving the public. She began her practice of law representing children in delinquency and protective care cases in New York. She went on to serve as a senior trial attorney and assistant chief for litigation in the fast-paced and demanding Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. She served as an assistant U.S. attorney.

She has taught litigation skills to students at Harvard University Law School and supervised them representing indigent clients appearing in probate and family court.

As a judge sitting in the Massachusetts District and Superior Courts, she has presided over hundreds of trials. She has issued opinions in civil and criminal proceedings, addressing topics including employment discrimination, judicial immunity for testifying witnesses, grand jury integrity, the right against self-incrimination, and public records access. Her opinions suggest a thoughtful, balanced, and evenhanded approach.

Judge Kelley has throughout her career demonstrated one thing above all else, and that is an abiding commitment to our Nation's promise of equal justice under the law. She has been a leader in the Massachusetts judiciary on fulfilling this promise, especially to litigants of color. She has been a friend and mentor to many members of the legal community and their affinity groups, with her nomination receiving strong support from the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, the Massachusetts Hispanic Lawyers Association, and the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, among others.

At a time when our Federal bench needs both diversity of experience and diversity of background more than ever, Judge Kelley meets the moment with qualifications that are, unfortunately, too rare for Federal judges. It is my sincere hope to see more nominees like Judge Kelley in the near future as we help reshape America's judiciary to better suit the people it serves.

In light of her qualifications, experience, and service, including a unanimous ``well qualified'' rating from the American Bar Association, Judge Kelley received bipartisan support in the Judiciary Committee to advance her nomination. I urge my colleagues to support her nomination here on the floor and vote yes to confirm her so that we can fill a long vacancy on the Massachusetts Federal court with a true, outstandingly qualified jurist who represents the best of our judicial system and our Nation.

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