Obama Fills Judiciary Emergencies

Todd Ruger, of The Blog of Legal Times, reports that two new nominations were submitted by President Obama to the Senate last Thursday:

"A magistrate and civil lawyer have been nominated to become district court judges for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where the two bench positions have been declared judicial emergencies and have been open for more than two years."

If confirmed, Matthew Brann and Malachy Mannion will fill vacancies created when District Judge Richard Caputo took senior status in March 2009, and District Judge Thomas Vanaskie was elevated to Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in April 2010.

Since 1995, Brann has been a partner at the law firm Bran, Williams, Caldwell & Sheetz. His concentration has been in torts, contracts, and real property litigation. Mannion is a former assistant U.S. attorney, and has been a magistrate for the Middle District of Pennsylvania since 2001.