Van Hollen, Cardin Introduce Biden Nominees Deborah Boardman and Lydia Griggsby for Maryland U.S. District Court Seats

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) introduced U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Boardman and U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Lydia Griggsby to the Senate Judiciary Committee.  The committee held the confirmation hearing today for both nominees.

“Judges Deborah Boardman and Lydia Griggsby will bring a tremendous diversity of experience to the courtroom as our newest judges of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland,” the senators said.  “We are confident that these nominees will faithfully follow the law and meet the highest standards of integrity, competence, and temperament.  We look forward to their favorable recommendation from the Judiciary Committee and swift approval by the full Senate so both judges can continue their dedication to public service on behalf of Marylanders for many years to come.”

The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary evaluated the professional qualifications of both nominees, including their integrity, professional confidence, and judicial temperament.  The Standing Committee gave both nominees a unanimous rating of “Well Qualified,” the highest possible rating.

Judge Boardman was nominated to fill the future vacancy created when Judge Richard Bennett, appointed by President Bush in 2003, announced his intention to take senior status upon the confirmation of his successor.  Judge Griggsby was nominated to fill the current vacancy created when Judge Catherine Blake, appointed by President Clinton in 1995, announced her intention to take senior status on April 2, 2021.  President Biden nominated Judges Boardman and Griggsby to these vacancies on March 30, 2021.

U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE DEBORAH BOARDMAN

Judge Boardman was born in Silver Spring and raised in Maryland.  She attended Frederick County public schools. She received her undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Villanova University. After college, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Amman, Jordan. She received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was a member of The Virginia Law Review. Upon graduation, she was a law clerk for the Honorable James C. Cacheris of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. For six years, Judge Boardman was an associate at Hogan & Hartson LLP (now Hogan Lovells) in Washington, DC, where she practiced complex commercial litigation. She had an active pro bono practice and was selected to serve as the senior associate in Hogan’s pro bono department. In 2008, Judge Boardman joined the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the District of Maryland. In 2015, she was named the First Assistant Federal Public Defender. During her 11-year tenure with the Federal Defender’s office, Judge Boardman represented individuals charged with federal crimes in the Greenbelt and Baltimore courthouses.  She was appointed as a Magistrate Judge in 2019.  She resides in Baltimore.

U.S. CLAIMS COURT JUDGE LYDIA GRIGGSBY

Judge Griggsby was born in Baltimore and is a life-long Maryland resident.  She is a graduate of the Park School of Baltimore.  She earned a B.A. in public policy political science from the University of Pennsylvania, and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.  She served an associate with the law firm of DLA Piper, LLP.  For 3 years, she was a trial attorney with the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice, where she litigated complex civil matters before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.  From 1998 to 2004, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.  She served for 2 years as counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics.  From 2004 to 2008, she served as Privacy Counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee.  From 2009 to 2014 she served as Chief Counsel for Privacy and Information Policy on the Judiciary Committee for Senator Patrick Leahy.  She was appointed Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims in 2014.  She currently serves as the Chair of the Court’s Committee on Legislation and Policy and as a member of the Court’s Management Committee.  She resides in Silver Spring.

If confirmed by the Senate, Judge Griggsby would the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Maryland.

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