RI's Judge DuBose nomination to federal court wins U.S. Senate Judiciary approval
PROVIDENCE – The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Thursday approved District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose’s nomination to the federal bench.
The committee voted 12-9, largely on party lines, in giving DuBose the nod to take the U.S. District Court seat being vacated by Judge William E. Smith. If approved by the full Senate, DuBose would become the first person of color and LGBTQ+ judge to sit on the court in Rhode Island.
President Joe Biden in January announced DuBose’s nomination at the recommendation of U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed.
“Ms. DuBose is a well-respected jurist who will make an exemplary federal judge. She earned bipartisan support from members of the Judiciary Committee today – a testament to her professionalism, intelligence, and integrity. I look forward to a swift confirmation by the full Senate,” Whitehouse, a senior member of the committee, said in a statement Thursday.
“Judge Dubose is exceedingly well-qualified and has a proven commitment to fairness, integrity, and justice,” Reed said.
DuBose appeared before the committee in a hearing last month at which Republican lawmakers peppered her with questions about her political leanings.
Widespread support
DuBose has enjoyed widespread support from the state’s judicial and law enforcement communities. Local police officials, state prosecutors and current members of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the broader Rhode Island judiciary also advocated for her confirmation.
The judges currently seated on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island lent their “wholehearted” support for the nomination in a letter to the Judiciary Committee.
“Melissa’s integrity is beyond reproach; her professional competence is varied and deep; and her judicial temperament is exemplary. Everyone on our Court is pleased at the possibility of welcoming Judge DuBose to the federal court if she is fortunate enough to be confirmed by the Senate,” the judges wrote.
Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond, observed that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, was one of the senators to cast a favorable vote for DuBose.
"Graham, the ranking member, voted yes and his vote is critically important, because numerous GOP colleagues look to him for guidance on judicial nominees. For example, Sens. Collins and Murkowski will likely vote for DuBose, as will a number of others," Tobias said in an email.
A native Rhode Islander, former teacher
DuBose, 55, is a native Rhode Islander who graduated from Providence College in 1990 with a degree in political science and went on to receive a teaching certification from the Providence College School of Continuing Education.
She taught history and civics in the Providence public schools for a decade and earned her law degree from Roger Williams University School of Law while working full time and taking classes at night.
She worked as a special assistant attorney general in the criminal division from 2005 to 2008. She went on to serve as senior legal counsel at Schneider Electric in Foxboro, Massachusetts, where she provided in-house counsel for the company’s global units and specialized in federal contracts, corporate compliance, ethics and fair trade.
In December 2018, she was named as a state District Court judge by then-Gov. Gina Raimondo.
Smith announced in June that he intends to retire from regular active service and assume senior status on Jan. 1, 2025.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island is a federal trial court, which hears both civil, criminal and maritime matters.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Nomination of Judge DuBose to U.S. District Court in RI clears hurdle
