President Obama Nominates Jane Stranch for United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Judge Thomas Vanaskie for United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

WASHINGTON, DC – President Obama today announced that he has nominated Jane Stranch for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Judge Thomas Vanaskie for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Stranch is currently a partner at Nashville law firm Branstetter, Stranch and Jennings. Judge Vanaskie currently sits on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

"Jane Stranch and Thomas Vanaskie have displayed exceptional dedication to their communities through their work and I am honored to nominate them to serve the American people as judges on the United States Court of Appeals," President Obama said. "They will be diligent, judicious and esteemed additions to the Third and Sixth Circuit benches."

Jane Stranch is a member of the Nashville law firm Branstetter, Stranch and Jennings, where she has developed a national practice in labor and employment law and specializes in complex ERISA litigation. Her ERISA work has required Stranch to develop an understanding of one of the most complex and rapidly changing areas of federal law as it develops across the federal circuits. Stranch’s extensive practice has given her significant experience in alternative forms of dispute resolution including mediation and arbitration. She has also practiced before the Tennessee Regulatory Authority where she worked on a range of environmental issues. She has taught labor law at Belmont University and served on the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee. She is also an active member of her community and dedicates considerable time to pro bono work, civic matters, and her church. She received her BA from Vanderbilt University in 1975 and her JD from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1978.

Judge Thomas Vanaskie currently serves as a federal district court judge in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He was appointed to that position in 1994, and served as Chief Judge of the District from 1996 to 2006. He has served as Co-Chair of the Third Circuit Library Resources Task Force and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Judges Association. He is also the Chair of the Third Circuit Judicial Council’s Information Technology Committee. He was previously a Vice-President and Board Member of the law firm Elliott, Vanaskie & Riley in Scranton and prior to that, a partner in the Scranton office of Dilworth, Paxson, Kalish, & Kauffman. After graduating from Lycoming College in 1975 and Dickinson School of Law in 1978, Judge Vanaskie began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable William J. Nealon, then Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.