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NDLS Grads Named Judges in Minnesota, Michigan, and New York


Author: Charles Williams

The ranks of NDLS grads serving as judges continued to expand this summer.

judges_mn First, NDLS classmates and others with Notre Dame connections came out to help Michael E. Ridgway (J.D. ’81) celebrate his recent investiture as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Minnesota. Pictured are former NDLS professor and U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota; Maureen Watz Gornik (‘83 BA, ‘86 JD), Deputy Clerk in Charge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit; Paul Patricoski (J.D. ’81), a partner with Dreyer Foote in Aurora, Ill.; The Honorable Michael E. Ridgway, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota (J.D. ’81); The Honorable Robert J. Kressel, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Minnesota (B.A. ’69); The Honorable Jeffrey J. Keyes, U.S. Magistrate Judge, District of Minnesota (B.A. ’68); Nancy Gargula (J.D. ’81), United States Trustee; and James P. Howe (J.D. ’81), an associate attorney with Godfrey, Leibsle, Blackbourn & Howarth, S.C. in Elkorn, Wisc.

hegarty_web Meanwhile, in Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has appointed Charles S. Hegarty (J.D. ’93) and Qiana Lillard (B.A. ’98, J.D. ’01) to the Third Circuit Court for Wayne County, Michigan. Previously Hegarty was a partner with the Michigan firm of Bodman PLC, while Lillard was an assistant Wayne County prosecuting attorney serving on the sexual assault team and as a specially assigned prosecutor for the special victims unit.

wolford_web Finally, the U.S. Senate this month is widely expected to confirm Elizabeth A. Wolford (J.D. ’92) as U.S. District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. The Senate Judiciary Committee sent President Obama’s nomination to the full Senate shortly before its August recess. Earlier this summer Wolford received the New York State Bar Association’s Root/Stimson Award for exemplary community service. She is a partner with The Wolford Law Firm LLP in Rochester, N.Y.