Van Hollen, Cardin Praise Senate Confirmation of Judge Lydia Griggsby for U.S. District Court of Maryland Seat

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) today praised the Senate’s confirmation of U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Lydia Griggsby to be a U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Maryland. The Senate confirmed the nomination by a bipartisan vote of 59 to 39. Judge Griggsby, who was born in Baltimore and currently resides in Silver Spring, will be the first Black woman and first woman of color to serve as a federal district court judge in Maryland.

“Today is a proud day for our state. The Senate’s confirmation of Judge Lydia Griggsby to be a U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland will help deliver fair, just, and equal treatment under the law to Marylanders,” the senators said. “Judge Griggsby has spent over 20 years in public service, bringing an enormous amount of experience to the bench. We are confident that she will faithfully follow the law and serve Marylanders with excellence. We also are proud that Judge Griggsby – a lifelong Marylander – will make history when she becomes the first Black woman and first woman of color to serve on our federal court as a U.S. District Judge for Maryland. We look forward to her continued service to those seeking justice for many years to come.”

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

Judge Griggsby was nominated to fill the vacancy created when Judge Catherine Blake, appointed by President Clinton in 1995, announced her intention to take senior status on April 2, 2021. Senators Van Hollen and Cardin recommended Judge Griggsby’s nomination to President Biden, who nominated her on March 30 2021. The Senate Judiciary Committee held her confirmation hearing on May 12, 2021, and favorably reported her nomination to the full Senate on June 10, 2021.

U.S. CLAIMS COURT JUDGE LYDIA GRIGGSBY

Judge Griggsby is a life-long Maryland resident. She is a graduate of the Park School of Baltimore; 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 as 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.