President Obama Nominates Three to Serve on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, President Obama nominated Judge Nancy B. Firestone, Lydia Kay Griggsby, and Thomas L. Halkowski to serve on the United States Court of Federal Claims.

“These men and women have proven themselves to be not only first-rate legal minds but faithful public servants,” said President Obama.  “It is with full confidence in their ability, integrity, and independence that I nominate them to serve on the Court of Federal Claims.”

Judge Nancy B. Firestone: Nominee for the United States Court of Federal Claims

Judge Nancy B. Firestone has served as a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims since 1998.  Previously, she was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the United States Department of Justice from 1995 to 1998.  From 1989 to 1995, Judge Firestone worked at the United States Environmental Protection Agency, serving as a Judge on the Environmental Appeals Board from 1992 to 1995 and as an Associate Deputy Administrator from 1989 to 1992.  She began her career by working in the Environment and National Resources Division of the Department of Justice in various positions from 1977 to 1989.  Judge Firestone received her J.D. with distinction in 1977 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law and her B.A. in 1973 from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Lydia Kay Griggsby: Nominee for the United States Court of Federal Claims

Lydia Kay Griggsby has been the Chief Counsel for Privacy and Information Policy for the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary since 2008, having previously served as Privacy Counsel for the Committee from 2006 to 2008.  From 2004 to 2005, she worked as Counsel for the Senate Select Committee on Ethics.  Griggsby served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia from 1998 to 2004 and as a trial attorney in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division in the United States Department of Justice from 1995 to 1998.  She began her legal career as an associate with DLA Piper LLP from 1993 to 1995.  Griggsby received her J.D. in 1993 from the Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. in 1990 from the University of Pennsylvania.

Thomas L. Halkowski: Nominee for the United States Court of Federal Claims

Thomas L. Halkowski has been a Principal in the Delaware office of Fish & Richardson, P.C. since 2000, where he primarily handles patent litigation in federal court.  Previously, he served as a trial attorney in the Environment & Natural Resources Division of the United States Department of Justice from 1992 to 2000.  Halkowski began his legal career by clerking for Judge Helen W. Nies of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit from 1990 to 1992 and for Judge Roger B. Andewelt of the United States Court of Federal Claims from 1989 to 1990.  Halkowski received his J.D. cum laude in 1989 from the University of Wisconsin Law School, his M.S. in 1986 from the University of Florida, and his B.S. cum laude in 1985 from Marquette University.