President Obama Nominates Irene Berger, Roberto Lange to Serve on the District Court Bench

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Irene Berger and Roberto Lange for District Court judgeships.  Judge Berger is being nominated for the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia while Mr. Lange is a nominee for the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota.

"Judge Berger and Mr. Lange have demonstrated the talent, expertise, and fair-mindedness Americans expect and deserve from their judges," said President Barack Obama.  "I am grateful for their willingness to serve and confident that they will apply the law with the utmost impartiality and integrity."

Judge Berger is currently a judge on the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia, where she has served for 15 years.  After graduating from law school, Judge Berger worked as a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Charleston, where she primarily represented low income clients in matters involving domestic, consumer, and landlord-tenant disputes.  In 1982, Judge Berger became an assistant prosecuting attorney for Kanawha County.   In 1994, Judge Berger joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, and then was appointed by Governor Gaston Caperton to the Circuit Court of Kanawha County.  Judge Berger graduated from West Virginia University in 1976 and from West Virginia College of Law in 1979.  Judge Berger is being nominated to the Southern District Court of West Virginia. Judge Berger received a unanimous well-qualified rating from the ABA.

Roberto Lange is a partner at Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, LLP in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he has worked since 1989.  Following law school, Mr. Lange served as law clerk to U.S. District Judge Donald J. Porter in Pierre, South Dakota.  Mr. Lange graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1985 and Northwestern University School of Law in 1988.  Mr. Lange is being nominated to the District Court of South Dakota. Mr. Lange received a unanimous well-qualified rating from the ABA.