By CHARLES OWENS
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the confirmation Tuesday of Judge Irene C. Berger to a federal judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia in Bluefield.
Berger, a native of Berwind in McDowell County, was nominated to the judgeship earlier this year by President Barack Obama. Berger previously served for 15 years as a circuit judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit of West Virginia. She will be the first African American woman to serve as a federal judge in West Virginia.
Both U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., and U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., voted in support of Berger’s nomination.
“Along with my colleague Senator Rockefeller, I was proud to recommend Judge Berger, for she is not only an outstanding jurist, she is also an exemplary person,” Byrd said Tuesday.
Byrd said Berger has devoted her legal career to public service in West Virginia.
“As a young attorney, she provided legal services to those who are most needy,” Byrd said. “As a prosecutor, Judge Berger obtained many high-profile felony convictions. Judge Berger has served as a circuit judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit of West Virginia for 15 years, and she has devoted countless hours of service to her community. Through her drive and determination, Judge Berger broke barrier after barrier. She was the first in her family to attend college, and she was the first African American woman to serve as a circuit judge in West Virginia.”
Rockefeller also applauded Berger’s nomination Tuesday.
“Judge Berger is absolutely incredible and her historic confirmation today makes me so very proud,” Rockefeller said. “She has served Kanawha County honorably as circuit judge and I know she will do the same for all West Virginians in her new post. I have had the pleasure of knowing Judge Berger for years, and I continue to be amazed by her tremendous intellect, integrity and dedication to public service. She is a phenomenal person and a true professional, which is why I was so proud to join with Senator Byrd in recommending her to the president for this judgeship.”
Berger will replace U.S. District Judge Dave Faber in West Virginia’s Southern District. Faber vacated the federal judgeship in Bluefield when he assumed senior status on Dec. 31, 2008.
Following her confirmation Tuesday by the Senate, Berger now awaits a formal swearing-in before assuming her official duties.
– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com
