Dec. 1, 2009 – President Barack Obama has nominated James Santelle as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Santelle currently serves in the Eastern District as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Santelle was one of two individuals advanced in May for the President’s consideration by U.S. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold from among four candidates recommended in March by Wisconsin’s Federal Nominating Commission.
According to the White House, Santelle, 51, has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin since 1985. During that time, Santelle worked as Principal Deputy Director for the Executive Office of United States Attorneys from 1991 to 2001, Civil Division Chief for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan from 2003 to 2004, and United States Department of Justice Attaché and Rule of Law Coordinator to the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, from 2006 to 2008.
From 1983 to 1985, Santelle was a law clerk for the Honorable Robert W. Warren of the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Santelle graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 1985.
Santelle’s nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Commission membership and activities in 2009
In late January, Kohl and Feingold activated the Federal Nominating Commission to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former U.S. Attorney Steven M. Biskupic in the Eastern District. On Feb. 11, the commission issued a call for applications for the position and 10 applied to replace Biskupic. On March 23, after conducting interviews, the commission announced its list of four recommended candidates to replace Biskupic.
The commission was chaired this year for the Eastern District by Marquette University Law School Professor Michael O’Hear, who was designated by Marquette Dean Joseph Kearney. For openings in the Western District of Wisconsin and on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the commission was chaired by University of Wisconsin Law School Dean Kenneth Davis.
Pursuant to the commission’s charter, Kohl appointed four attorneys to this year’s commission: Stephen Glynn and Nathan Fishbach, both of Milwaukee, Christine Bremer Muggli, of Wausau, and Michelle Behnke, of Madison. Feingold also appointed four attorneys: Ken Calewarts of Green Bay, Chuck Curtis of Madison, Peg Lautenschlager of Fond du Lac, and Harvey Temkin of Madison.
This year’s commission was rounded out by attorneys Susan Hansen of Milwaukee and Thomas Sleik of La Crosse, both appointed by Diane Diel, who at the time was president of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
Staff support for the commission was provided the State Bar’s government relations team.
In addition to the Eastern District U.S. Attorney position, the commission this year recommended candidates for four other vacant federal positions subject to presidential appointment, including a vacancy on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, two judicial openings in the Western District of Wisconsin and the U.S. attorney position for the Western District.
Commission history
The Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission has been making recommendations to Wisconsin’s United States senators since 1979.
According to Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, the president "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint" federal judges. The president also appoints United States attorneys. By tradition, the president defers to the recommendations of the home state’s U.S. senators for these positions.
In 1979, Wisconsin’s two United States senators, William Proxmire and Gaylord Nelson, established the Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission, a tradition that has continued to the present day under Kohl and Feingold. Democratic and Republican senators have used the commission for every federal judicial and U.S. attorney vacancy in the past 30 years, under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
Adam Korbitz is the Government Relations Coordinator for the State Bar of Wisconsin.
Related articles:
Commission makes recommendations for United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit – November 16, 2009
Commission makes recommendations for United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit – Nov. 16, 2009
Federal Nominating Commission receives 11 applications for vacancy on Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit – Sept. 29, 2009
Federal Nominating Commission seeks applicants for vacancy on Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit – Sept. 1, 2009
Kohl, Feingold announce activation of Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission – Aug. 6, 2009
Commission makes recommendations for United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin – July 15, 2009
Commission makes recommendations for United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin – June 8, 2009
Nominating commission receives 6 applications for United States Attorney vacancy in Western District – May 19, 2009
Federal Nominating Commission Seeks Applicants for United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin – April 29, 2009
Nominating Commission Receives 21 Applications for Second Federal Judgeship Vacancy in Western District – April 22, 2009
Federal Nominating Commission Seeks Applicants for Second Judicial Vacancy in Western District of Wisconsin – April 1, 2009
Kohl, Feingold Announce Activation Of Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission – March 31, 2009
Commission makes recommendations for United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin – March 30, 2009
Commission makes recommendations for United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin – March 23, 2009
Nominating commission receives 10 applications for United States Attorney vacancy in Eastern District – March 3, 2009
Nominating commission receives 13 applications for federal judgeship vacancy in Western District – March 3, 2009
Applicants for United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin – Feb. 11, 2009
Applicants for Judicial Vacancy in the Western District of Wisconsin – Feb. 11, 2009
Senators Kohl and Feingold activate Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission – Jan. 28, 2009
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