AT SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING, SHAHEEN SUPPORTS LANDYA MCCAFFERTY FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

(Washington, D.C.) – This morning U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) addressed the Senate Judiciary Committee to support Landya McCafferty’s nomination to serve as the next federal district court judge for the District of New Hampshire. At the committee’s nomination hearing, Shaheen specifically highlighted McCafferty’s strong judicial experience that makes her an ideal candidate for the federal bench. If confirmed, McCafferty would be the first woman to serve on the federal bench in New Hampshire.

Below are Shaheen’s remarks, as prepared for delivery:

Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Grassley, members of the Committee, I am delighted to be here this afternoon to introduce Landya McCafferty, whom the President has nominated to be a federal district court judge for the District of New Hampshire.

I would like to note that Landya, if confirmed, will be the first woman to serve on the federal bench in New Hampshire.  But it’s not Landya’s gender that matters – it’s her professional experience and her personal qualities that make her stand out.

When the word got out in New Hampshire that there would be a vacancy on the federal bench, I heard from lawyers across the state recommending Landya McCafferty for this judgeship. I didn’t know Landya at the time, but was impressed by what I was hearing about her. I wanted to meet this woman, and I was not disappointed when we did meet. I was struck by Landya’s intellect, thoughtfulness, and level temperament. She gave straightforward and well-reasoned answers to all my questions.  

In addition to her current position as the U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of New Hampshire, her federal court experience includes clerking for two district court judges and at the First Circuit of Appeals.  Her other professional experience includes prosecuting professional misconduct cases as the Disciplinary Counsel for the N.H. Supreme Court Attorney Discipline Office; serving as an appellate and trial attorney in the highly regarded N.H. Public Defender Program; and working in private practice as a civil litigator.

And Landya is an innovator. As a Magistrate Judge, Landya has become a nationally recognized expert and teacher on how to use technology, including the iPad, to achieve a more efficient and paperless workflow in the federal court system.

Mr. Chairman, I have no doubt that Landya McCafferty will be an excellent federal district court judge, and I offer my strongest recommendation for her confirmation.