Obama Nominates Openly Gay Michael McShane To Federal Court In Oregon
- By
- On Top Magazine Staff
- | September 21, 2012
President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Michael McShane to a seat on the Federal District Court in Oregon.
McShane, 51, has been a judge on the Mulnomah County Circuit Court in Oregon since 2001. He previously served as a judge pro tempore on the same court from 1997 to 2001.
He served nearly a decade as a public defender at the Office of the Metropolitan Public Defender in Portland, Oregon prior to becoming a judge.
In 2012, he was awarded the Oregon State Bar President's Public Service Award.
McShane graduated with honors in 1988 from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College.
According to a blog post from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), McShane's nomination is supported by Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden.
Wyden called the nomination an “excellent choice.”
“Michael's background as a judge, a public defender and adjunct law professor makes this a well-earned appointment that I believe deserves quick confirmation by the Senate,” Wyden said.
If confirmed, McShane would become the first openly gay federal judge in Oregon.