S568 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 4, 2004 with this vote, which is fine with me, if the Senate proceed to a vote on the tigious Phi Beta Kappa fellowship. I could be recognized following this confirmation and, following the vote, After graduating from U of I, he won vote to offer my amendment, I would the President be immediately notified the highly sought after Marshall Schol- very much appreciate that. of the Senate’s action and the Senate arship to attend Oxford. While there, I would ask the Senator from Mis- return to legislative session. he received a B.A. and M.A. in jurispru- souri whether I might be recognized The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there dence and won first class honors at Ox- following the vote. objection? ford. Returning from his Marshall Mr. BOND. Mr. President, on this Without objection, it is so ordered. scholarship to the United States, he side I am not authorized to enter into f matriculated at the Harvard Law that type of UC. I assure the Senator School. He did similarly well at Har- EXECUTIVE SESSION and my colleagues on the other side we vard. He became an editor of the Har- will work with them. There is a con- vard Law Review. cern about moving into the commerce NOMINATION OF MARK R. FILIP In Mark Filip’s second year at Har- title. We will work with him if we can TO BE U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE FOR vard, he won the Sears Prize, which is move forward on the consent for the THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF IL- given annually to the two students of judge vote; then we will work on this, LINOIS the second year class who achieved the if we can get consent for that. highest grades. Ultimately, in the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there The PRESIDING OFFICER. The early 1990s, Mark Filip graduated objection? clerk will state the nomination. magna cum laude from Harvard Law The Senator from Nevada. The legislative clerk read the nomi- School. Mr. REID. Reserving the right to ob- nation of the Mark R. Filip, of Illinois, He began his professional career in ject, I will go along with what the Sen- to be U.S. District Judge for the North- Chicago, serving as an associate at ator from Missouri requests. It is kind ern District of Illinois. Kirkland & Ellis, one of the best and of unfair to the Senator from North The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who oldest firms in Chicago. After a couple Dakota. We have been begging people yields time? of years in the Kirkland & Ellis Chi- to offer amendments. He shows up to The Senator from Illinois is recog- cago office, he moved to the U.S. At- offer one and now we cannot do it. It nized. torney’s Office and became an assistant doesn’t seem very fair. We may be Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. President, I U.S. attorney in the Northern District waiting a long time based upon state- take just a few moments to introduce of Illinois, where he gained a lot of ex- ments by the chairman in the Cham- to my colleagues the nominee on whom perience in a wide variety of criminal ber. I am happy— we are going to be voting in a couple of cases that he prosecuted successfully, Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, reserv- minutes. I recommended Mark Filip to including racketeering, white-collar ing the right to object—and I will not President Bush. President Bush nomi- crime, public corruption, tax fraud object—if you want Members to come nated him. Senator DURBIN concurred cases; and he successfully defended the to the floor with germane amendments, in my recommendation to President U.S. Attorney’s Office on appeal in I am here. I have been hearing that a Bush. I thank Senator DURBIN for his many of those cases. lot today. I have one and it is not a big support in this effort. I also thank Mark Filip returned to the private amendment. What I hear being said at Chairman HATCH and Senator LEAHY on sector. After leaving the U.S. Attor- the moment is perhaps you want to go the Judiciary Committee, and all mem- ney’s Office, he became an associate at through this bill by title, which is bers of the Judiciary Committee, for Skadden Arps in 1999, and in 2001 he be- something I have not heard before. It helping to move this nomination for- came a partner at Skadden Arps. should be open to amendment at any ward to the floor. In recent years, he has been an ad- point. That is the reason that, for the I think one of the most difficult junct professor of law at Northwestern last hour or so, I put this amendment tasks most of us have in the Senate is University and the University of Chi- together. finding outstanding nominees to the cago Law School, both outstanding in- My hope is that the Senator from Federal judicial branch of Government. stitutions. Missouri and those managing will un- In many cases, at least from my per- Now, again, I emphasize how de- derstand, when we are ready to offer an spective, the choice has been very dif- lighted I am to be able to present to amendment, you ought to welcome it. I ficult. Oftentimes, we will get 80 appli- my colleagues in the Senate such a hope when I seek recognition, you will cants for a single district court judge- well-qualified nominee, Mark Filip, allow me to offer it. I expect to speak ship opening in Chicago and you have who is a very young man. He has four 8 or 10 minutes. If you want to lay it to pick just one person. That one per- children, who range in age from 8 aside then and work on it, I am happy son, obviously, is very happy and you months to 6 years. He is in his late to do that. I shall not object. have many others who are disappointed thirties, and I expect that if he goes on The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there that they did not get chosen. the district court in Chicago at this objection to the request by the Senator In this case, I was elated to find a early age, he may well have the oppor- from Missouri? person of such outstanding credentials tunity to rise to the circuit court of Mr. REID. Mr. President, when are that I could wholeheartedly rec- appeals. we going to have the vote? It is past 4 ommend him to the President. I think I neglected to mention that between o’clock. in the case of this nominee, Mark R. law school and his professional career, Mr. BOND. I believe at this point it is Filip, we are in fact lucky to have he had two very prized judicial clerk- necessary to revise the unanimous con- someone of his caliber who is willing to ships. He served as a law clerk to Ste- sent. First, I say to my friend from leave a very lucrative practice in the ven Williams on the DC Court of Ap- North Dakota that the title he wants private sector. He is now a partner at peals and then as a law clerk for Su- to amend has not been offered. That is Skadden Arps’ Chicago office. He is preme Court Justice Scalia. a problem on which we are going to willing to leave that very prestigious I am confident, having researched have to work. We have only offered the position to move into public service and talked to all those he has worked EPW portion. and become a district court judge in with over the years, that there is no I asked unanimous consent that the Northern District of Illinois. question he will make a superior dis- there be 5 minutes equally divided be- Mark Filip lives in Winnetka, IL, trict court judge. tween the chairman and the ranking with his wife Beth. They have four Mr. President, I yield the floor. member and, thereafter, there be a sons. Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, we vote on the nomination of Mark R. Mark grew up in Chicago and at- are considering the nomination of Filip, of Illinois, to be U.S. District tended the University of Illinois at Mark filip to the U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illi- Champaign. He graduated summa cum for the Northern District of Illinois. nois. laude from the University of Illinois. The vote today on Mr. Filip is the sec- I renew my request. Following the 5 While there, he received many aca- ond vote on a judicial nominee this minutes, I ask unanimous consent that demic fellowships, including the pres- year, and demonstrates the Democrats’ VerDate jul 14 2003 00:01 Feb 05, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G04FE6.046 S04PT1 February 4, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S569 remarkable cooperation on judicial them around and to people outside of This week, the chairman of the Sen- nominations despite years of intensi- the Senate. This is no small mistake. ate Judiciary Committee will hold a fied Republican partisanship and It is a serious breach of trust, morals, third hearing for circuit court nomi- unilateralism. the standards that govern Senate con- nees. Traditionally, the number of Over the past 2 weeks, I have shared duct and possibly, criminal laws. We do nominees who have received hearings with the Senate several disappointing not yet know the full extent of these and who are confirmed in a Presi- developments regarding judicial nomi- violations.