President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the United States Courts of Appeals

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, President Obama nominated Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo and Kara Farnandez Stoll to serve on the United States Courts of Appeals.

“These individuals have displayed exceptional dedication to the legal profession through their work, and I am honored to nominate them to serve the American people as judges on the United States Courts of Appeals,” President Obama said.  “They will be diligent, judicious and esteemed additions to the bench.”

Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo:  Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo has served as a United States District Judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania since June 2013 and previously served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2013.

Judge Restrepo was born in Colombia and moved to the United States when he was two.  He received his B.A. in 1981 from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. in 1986 from Tulane University Law School. Judge Restrepo began his legal career as a law clerk at the National Prison Project. From 1987 to 1990, he served as an Assistant Defender with the Defender Association of Philadelphia, and, from 1990 to 1993, he served as an Assistant Federal Defender in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  In 1993, Judge Restrepo started the law firm of Krasner & Restrepo, where he handled a wide range of criminal and civil matters in both federal and state courts until his appointment as a federal magistrate judge in 2006. During his time on the bench, he has been actively involved in the reentry program in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which is a collaborative effort between the court, United States Attorney’s Office, Federal Defenders Office, United States Probation Office, and community partners to promote the successful reintegration of individuals released from federal custody. 

Judge Restrepo has taught courses on trial advocacy and legal research and writing at Temple University Law School since 1993 and also taught trial advocacy at the University of Pennsylvania Law School from 1997 to 2009.

Kara Farnandez Stoll:  Nominee for the Unites States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Kara Farnandez Stoll is a partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett and Dunner, LLP in Washington, D.C.  She has extensive experience in patent litigation, having represented clients at both the district and appellate levels, and has served as lead counsel on a number of cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Stoll received her B.S. in electrical engineering in 1991 from Michigan State University and her J.D. in 1997 from Georgetown University Law School. After graduating from college, Stoll worked as a patent examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office from 1991 to 1997. From 1997 to 1998, Stoll clerked for Judge Alvin Schall of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In 1998, she joined Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett and Dunner, LLP, where her practice focuses on patent litigation, primarily in the consumer electronics, computers, software, and medical devices industries. 

Stoll has served as an adjunct professor at George Mason University Law School since 2008 and previously served as an adjunct professor at Howard University School of Law from 2004 to 2008. Stoll currently serves as Co-Chair of the Rules Committee of the Federal Circuit Bar Association, and she previously served as Vice Chair of the Rules Committee from 2012 to 2013.