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S. Hrg. 109–907

NOMINATIONS OF HON. ANNA BLACKBURNERIGSBY, PHYLLIS D. THOMPSON, AND

JENNIFER M. ANDERSON

HEARING

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON 

HOMELAND SECURITY AND 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON THE

NOMINATIONS OF HON. ANNA BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY AND PHYLLIS D. 

THOMPSON TO BE ASSOCIATE JUDGES, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

COURT OF APPEALS, AND JENNIFER M. ANDERSON TO BE ASSOCIATE 

JUDGE, SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

JULY 11, 2006

Available via http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate

Printed for the use of the 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

(

(II)

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine, Chairman 

TED STEVENS, Alaska 

GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio 

NORM COLEMAN, Minnesota 

TOM COBURN, Oklahoma 

LINCOLN D. CHAFEE, Rhode Island 

ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah 

PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico 

JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia 

JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut 

CARL LEVIN, Michigan 

DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

MARK DAYTON, Minnesota 

FRANK LAUTENBERG, New Jersey 

MARK PRYOR, Arkansas

MICHAEL D. BOPP, Staff Director and Chief Counsel 

JENNIFER A. HEMINGWAY, Professional Staff Member 

DAVID W. COLE, Professional Staff Member 

MICHAEL L. ALEXANDER, Minority Staff Director 

ADAM R. SEDGEWICK, Minority Professional Staff Member 

JENNIFER L. TYREE, Minority Counsel, Oversight of Government Management, 

the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee 

TRINA DRIESSNACK TYRER, Chief Clerk 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Opening statements: Page 

Senator Voinovich ............................................................................................. 1

WITNESSES 

TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2006

Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Delegate to Congress from the District of 

Columbia ............................................................................................................... 1

Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby to be Associate Judge, District of Columbia 

Court of Appeals: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 4

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 13

Biographical and professional information ..................................................... 16

Phyllis D. Thompson to be Associate Judge, District of Columbia Court of 

Appeals: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 6

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 44

Biographical and professional information ..................................................... 45

Jennifer M. Anderson to be Associate Judge, Superior Court of the District 

of Columbia: 

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 7

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 64

Biographical and professional information ..................................................... 66

APPENDIX 

Post-hearing question for Ms. Anderson submitted by Senator Lieberman ....... 86

Paul Strauss, a U.S. Senator (Shadow) from the District of Columbia, prepared statement ................................................................................................... 88

(1)

NOMINATIONS OF HON. ANNA BLACKBURNERIGSBY, PHYLLIS D. THOMPSON, AND 

JENNIFER M. ANDERSON 

TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2006

U.S. SENATE, 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY

AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, 

Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:07 a.m., in room 

342, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. George V. Voinovich, 

presiding. 

Present: Senator Voinovich. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR VOINOVICH 

Senator VOINOVICH. Good morning and welcome. Today, the 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs meets 

to consider the nominations of Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby of 

the D.C. Superior Court to be an Associate Judge of the District of 

Columbia Court of Appeals, Phyllis Thompson to be an Associate 

Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and Jennifer 

Anderson to be an Associate Judge of the D.C. Superior Court. 

I know it is an honor to be nominated to serve as a judge. This 

profession carries the significant responsibility to protect the rights 

and liberties of citizens, uphold and interpret the law, and resolve 

disputes peacefully, fairly, and effectively. I believe all the three 

nominees to be well-qualified for the position to which they have 

been nominated. I look forward to hearing from them today about 

their qualifications for the bench and their reasons for pursuing 

public service. 

But before I do that, I would like to yield for an opening statement from Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, my good friend from 

the District of Columbia. Delegate Norton, we are very happy to 

welcome you back to this Committee. You are very conscientious in 

your responsibilities to the District, and we look forward to hearing 

from you. 

STATEMENT OF HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, A 

DELEGATE TO CONGRESS FROM THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

Ms. NORTON. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, thank you, 

on behalf of the District of Columbia, for the number of matters 

that you are shepherding through for us, and I bring you the gratitude of the people of the District of Columbia for your work for us. 

2

I have a great pleasure to introduce three very well-qualified 

candidates today. I won’t belabor their extraordinary qualifications. 

The first is Associate Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, already a 

Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. She had 

very extensive experience leading to that appointment in the Corporation Counsel’s Office as Special Counsel to the Corporation 

Counsel, as the Chief of its Family Services Division. She went on 

to become a Magistrate Judge before, and with the selection of this 

Committee, she became an Associate Judge of the Superior Court. 

She has had extensive work with the Bar, including Chair of the 

Washington Bar Association Judicial Counsel, Nominating Chair of 

the Association of Women Judges, and too many others to name. 

She has been an Associate Judge of the Superior Court since 2000. 

She is a graduate of the Howard University Law School, where 

she was Articles Editor of the Howard Law Journal. She is a native Washingtonian, though I knew her parents and I knew her as 

a child in New York City when I lived there. She is very well qualified to join our D.C. Court of Appeals, in my view, and I strongly 

recommend her to you. 

I am equally honored to recommend Phyllis D. Thompson to the 

D.C. Court of Appeals. Ms. Thompson comes from law practice, the 

first African-American woman to become a partner in one of our 

major law firms, Covington and Burling. She has been very active 

in our Bar, Vice Chair of the D.C. Court of Appeals Committee on 

Bar Admissions, a Bar Examiner, and Vice Chair of the D.C. Board 

of Appeals and Review. She has been a member of the Board of 

Governors of the D.C. Bar and has been involved in many other 

matters involving the Bar and civic matters. 

She has been an academic star, a graduate with high honors 

from George Washington University Law School, Order of the Coif, 

Notes Editor of the George Washington Law Review. She has an 

M.A. in religion with a concentration in ethics. She is a graduate, 

1974, of George Washington University, class valedictorian, Phi 

Beta Kappa, and also a native Washingtonian, Mr. Chairman. 

I am very pleased, as well, to introduce another distinguished 

nominee, Jennifer M. Anderson. I am very pleased to recommend 

her. Even though, Ms. Anderson, I think you may not have had the 

good fortune to be born in the District of Columbia, I think she was 

born in Baltimore. It is close enough. [Laughter.] 

But she has worked very extensively with us in our U.S. Attorney’s Office as the Chief of the Felony Section, Chief of the Homicide-Major Crimes Section of the Third District, very extensive experience there after coming from private practice, where she 

worked in defense work in the civil context. She was with 

Cadwalader and Wickersham here in Washington before coming to 

the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

She won many awards there for outstanding achievement, and 

she comes highly recommended by her peers and the U.S. Attorney. 

She is a graduate of Catholic University Law School and Mount St. 

Mary’s College in Maryland. I am pleased to recommend her, as 

well as the other two nominees, to you and hope that you will pass 

them on to the floor of the Senate in due course. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you, Delegate Norton. We really appreciate your being here today to introduce these outstanding canVerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:37 Jun 07, 2007 Jkt 030855 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\DOCS\30855.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PAT
3

1The prepared statement of Judge Blackburne-Rigsby appears in the Appendix on page 13. 

didates for the judiciary. I understand that you have other commitments. Thanks again for being here today. 

Ms. NORTON. Thank you. 

Senator VOINOVICH. I understand that we have several judges 

here, Judge Sullivan, who is Chairman of the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission. Judge Sullivan, would you stand up and be 

recognized for being here. Chief Judge Washington of the D.C. 

Court of Appeals. Judge, nice to see you again. Finally, Chief Judge 

King of the D.C. Superior Court is here. It is very nice that you 

are here today. 

It is the custom of our Committee to have the witnesses sworn 

in, so if you will stand, I am going to administer the oath to you. 

Do you swear this testimony you are about to give this Committee 

is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help 

you, God? 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. I do. 

Ms. THOMPSON. I do. 

Ms. ANDERSON. I do. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you. 

Judge Rigsby, I understand that you have family members here 

today, as well as several of your colleagues. I would like to give you 

an opportunity before you make your statement to introduce your 

family and friends. 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a 

pleasure to be here this morning with so many of my family members, friends, and colleagues. With me today are my husband, 

Judge Robert Rigsby; my son, Julian Christopher Rigsby; my parents, Elmer and Laura Blackburne; my sister, Faith Blackburne. I 

am also joined by several of my colleagues on the Superior Court 

bench, Judge Zinora Mitchell-Rankin, Judge Erik Christian, Judge 

Stephanie Duncan-Peters, and from the Court of Appeals today, 

Judge Inez Smith Reid. I also have the privilege of having with us 

today Lieutenant General Daniel James, Retired, and Brigadier 

General Errol Schwartz from the D.C. National Guard. And I am 

joined by many friends and distinguished members of the Bar and 

colleagues who have supported me over the years, and I am so 

pleased that they could be here today. 

Senator VOINOVICH. I know this is a special time for them. You 

have been sitting on one bench and you are now being appointed 

to another bench. I am sure that for all of our nominees this is a 

milestone in your respective careers and a special time for your 

families. 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. Thank you. 

Senator VOINOVICH. If you would like to proceed with your statement. 

TESTIMONY OF HON. ANNA BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY,1 TO BE ASSOCIATE JUDGE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURT OF APPEALS 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and 

Members of the Committee and Committee staff members. I am 

honored to appear before you today. I am grateful and deeply humVerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:37 Jun 07, 2007 Jkt 030855 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\DOCS\30855.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PAT
4

bled by President Bush’s nomination of me to serve as a Judge on 

the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. 

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the introduction 

by Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and for her support of my 

nomination to this honorable position. I am also honored by the 

presence of Chief Judge Eric Washington of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Chief Judge Rufus King of the Superior Court 

of the District of Columbia, and Judge Emmet Sullivan of the U.S. 

District Court for the District of Columbia, the Chair of the District 

of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission. 

I would like to take this opportunity again to just say how much 

the support of my family has meant to me throughout this process. 

I am grateful to my husband, Judge Robert Rigsby, for his undying 

love and support and patience. I am grateful to my son, Julian 

Christopher Rigsby, and so proud of him and all of his accomplishments. 

I want to say a special thank you to my parents, Elmer and 

Laura Blackburne, who have been role models to me throughout 

my life. Their commitment to this country and to community service throughout my childhood and to this day has been a role model 

for me. And my sisters, Dr. Rose Blackburne, who was not able to 

be here today, and Faith Blackburne, have been a support and 

source of love to me. 

As I mentioned, I have the privilege of being joined by many 

friends, family members, judicial colleagues, and other distinguished guests, and without all of their support over the years, I 

would not be before you today. With your permission, Mr. Chairman, I would just like to ask them to stand and be recognized once 

again, if I might. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Fine. 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. I have a number of family members 

and friends, and they are being shy now, but I would just like for 

them to stand. It means so much to me that they could be here 

with me. 

Senator VOINOVICH. You certainly brought a great support group 

with you today. 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you all for being here. 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. I was fortunate that my parents encouraged my early involvement in the church, political, and civic 

activities. Their encouragement ingrained in me a deep commitment to the rule of law and social justice, which has been a driving 

force in both my personal and professional development. My parents’ influence impressed upon me the importance of education, excellence, and public service, which led me to pursue undergraduate 

work at Duke University and law school at Howard University. My 

husband, a decorated U.S. Army officer, and I have dedicated our 

lives to serving our country and the citizens of the District of Columbia. My commitment to public service has been evidenced 

through my work with the Bar and within the community. 

After graduating from law school, I entered private practice at 

the law firm of Hogan and Hartson here in Washington, DC, and 

gained invaluable professional training from the perspective of a 

large law firm. My appreciation for our system of justice was furVerDate 0ct 09 2002 13:37 Jun 07, 2007 Jkt 030855 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\DOCS\30855.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PAT
5

1The prepared statement of Ms. Thompson appears in the Appendix on page 44. 

ther expanded when I left the private sector to join the Office of 

the Attorney General of the District of Columbia, formerly the Office of Corporation Counsel, where I gained unique insights into 

the importance of law in the public sector. Working in the public 

sector instilled in me a sense of justice and compassion for my community that further inspired my commitment to public service. 

In 1995, I was appointed to serve as a Magistrate Judge on the 

Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and as a Magistrate 

Judge, I became intimately familiar with the litigants and issues 

brought before the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. 

In 2000, I had the honor of appearing before you, Mr. Chairman, 

and this Committee and was later confirmed to the position I now 

hold on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. As an Associate Judge, I have presided over calenders in the Criminal, Civil, 

and Family Divisions of our court and I have strived to provide 

thoughtful and scholarly decisions for the benefit of the parties appearing before me. This experience, I believe, would allow me to 

bring valuable insight to the appellate process. 

My love of the law has inspired me to seek teaching opportunities, as well, and I had the opportunity and privilege to teach a 

trial advocacy workshop at the Harvard Law School and served as 

an adjunct professor at the David A. Clarke School of Law, where 

I taught professional responsibility. 

Being an Associate Judge requires an individual commitment to 

fairness and the diligent pursuit of justice. Being an effective Appellate Judge brings with it the additional obligation to work with 

colleagues to ensure the uniformity of the law and its equal application to all. I believe that my diverse legal background along with 

my experience as a Magistrate Judge and an Associate Judge of the 

Superior Court of the District of Columbia have prepared me to 

make a valuable contribution to the District of Columbia Court of 

Appeals, if confirmed. 

The President has nominated me to take the seat being vacated 

by Judge Frank Schwelb. I would like to note that I had the privilege of sitting by designation with Judge Schwelb. I admire and 

greatly respect all of the judges of the District of Columbia Court 

of Appeals. Should I be confirmed, I hope to serve as ably as the 

judges currently serving on the court. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, for 

this opportunity to appear before you, and I would be pleased to 

answer any questions. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you, Judge Rigsby. Ms. Thompson. 

TESTIMONY OF PHYLLIS D. THOMPSON,1 TO BE ASSOCIATE 

JUDGE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURT OF APPEALS 

Ms. THOMPSON. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the 

opportunity to introduce my family members and friends who are 

here today. With me today are my daughters, Emily Famutimi and 

Elinor Famutimi. They are here, and I hope they will stand. Emily 

just graduated from the Harvard Law School and is studying for 

the Bar, and it is a great sacrifice that she has made coming today. 

I appreciate it. [Laughter.] 

6

Senator VOINOVICH. You bet it is. 

Ms. THOMPSON. Elinor is a student at New York University, and 

I am very proud of both of them. 

I also have with me my brother, the Reverend Wayne Thompson, 

my sister, the Reverend Wanda Thompson, my cousin, Emma 

Johnson, and our very close family friend, the Reverend Roy Settles. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Welcome. 

Ms. THOMPSON. I also have with me here today my law partners 

and friends, Carolyn Corwin, Joanne Grossman, and Thomas 

Williamson, and I thank them very much for coming today. I hope 

they will stand, as well. And also my very able assistant, Karen 

Baxter, whom I haven’t seen but I think is in the room. 

Senator VOINOVICH. She is back there. 

Ms. THOMPSON. And I would also like to acknowledge the presence of the Hon. Emmet Sullivan, who is the Chair of the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission, who has worked so hard to identify 

judicial nominees. I appreciate him being here today. Also here is 

Dean Alfreda Robinson from the National Bar Association, and I 

appreciate her coming today, as well. 

Senator VOINOVICH. I want to thank all of you for being here 

today. Judge Sullivan, we appreciate all the hard work that you do. 

I am very much impressed by the candidates that have come before 

this Committee. Thank you. 

Ms. THOMPSON. Shall I proceed with my opening statement, Mr. 

Chairman? 

Senator VOINOVICH. You should proceed, yes. 

Ms. THOMPSON. Thank you. I am grateful for this opportunity to 

appear before the Committee today. I want to thank President 

Bush for having nominated me to serve on the District of Columbia 

Court of Appeals. I am deeply honored to have been selected for 

this high position. 

I also thank the Committee for holding this hearing today during 

this very busy period and thank Representative Norton for her 

kind introduction. The Committee staff have been extremely helpful to all of us in navigating the confirmation process, and I know 

that they have worked diligently in collecting and reviewing and 

helping the Senators to review the information pertinent to the 

Committee’s consideration of my nomination. I very much appreciate their work, and I want particularly to thank Ms. Jennifer 

Hemingway for her kind assistance and courtesy. 

Let me also express my gratitude to my family for their constant 

love and support, and especially to my mother, Juanita Thompson, 

who was unable to be here today but who has supported me all my 

life and made this possible for me. 

A big thank you to my professional colleagues, especially my colleagues at the law firm of Covington and Burling, from whom I 

have learned so much over the course of my career, for making it 

possible for me to do the array of work that has helped to prepare 

me for the position for which I have been nominated. 

And my thanks also to the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission 

for the tremendous time and hard work that they devote to identifying candidates for judicial positions in the District and for their 

confidence in me. 

7

1The prepared statement of Ms. Anderson appears in the Appendix on page 64. 

I would also like to say thank you to Chief Judge Washington 

and to the other judges on the D.C. Court of Appeals who, one by 

one, have sent me kind messages of support and encouragement 

since my nomination. I feel quite privileged at the possibility of 

joining such a fine group of judges. 

I would welcome the opportunity, Mr. Chairman, to be a public 

servant for my native District of Columbia by serving as a Judge 

on the D.C. Court of Appeals. I pledge that, if confirmed, I will 

apply my skills energetically and diligently to help advance the 

work of the court. I also pledge that, if confirmed, I will treat all 

litigants with courtesy, respect, and fairness and that I will approach all matters with the impartiality and thoughtful deliberation that are necessary to maintain the public’s faith in and respect 

for this high institution. 

Thank you again for the chance to be here today and for your 

consideration of my nomination. I welcome any questions that the 

Committee may have, and I will do my best to answer them. Thank 

you. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you very much. Ms. Anderson, would 

you like to introduce your friends and family? 

TESTIMONY OF JENNIFER M. ANDERSON,1 TO BE ASSOCIATE 

JUDGE, SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

Ms. ANDERSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am honored today 

to have my parents, Frank and Brid Anderson; my sisters, Colleen 

and Noreen; and my brother, Dermot, his wife, Karen, and their 

daughter, Lena. If they could stand. Lena was hoping that she 

would get to see President Bush today. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Sorry, he is not coming. [Laughter.] 

Ms. ANDERSON. Hope springs eternal. 

I am also honored to be joined today by the U.S. Attorney for the 

District of Columbia, Ken Wainstein, who has been very supportive 

to me during this process, and I would like to recognize him and 

my longtime friend and colleague from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 

Mary Pat Brown. 

I would also like to recognize a number of my friends and colleagues from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police 

Department and the FBI who have come here today to support me. 

They are all individuals that I have worked with over the past 15 

years during my tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and in particular in the last 10 years while I have been doing homicides and 

have been very helpful and supportive to me during that time. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you all for being here. 

Ms. ANDERSON. It is a great honor to appear before you today, 

Senator, and I wish to thank Delegate Holmes Norton for her very 

kind remarks. 

More than 35 years ago, my parents packed up their five children and moved 3,000 miles across the ocean from Dublin, Ireland. 

They did so because they wanted to provide their children with the 

opportunities that they themselves did not have and which they believed existed in this country. In looking back, that move was not 

8

an easy one, and I think my parents made many sacrifices so that 

their children could have a better life. 

I clearly have benefitted from those sacrifices, and it is somewhat 

amazing to find myself sitting before you today, having been nominated by the President of the United States for an Associate Judge 

of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. I would like to 

thank President Bush for giving me what I see as a wonderful opportunity by nominating me for this position. 

Having practiced criminal law for the last 15 years in the Superior Court, I have a great affinity for the court, and I hope that I 

can make a substantial contribution if I am fortunate enough to be 

confirmed. 

I would like to thank the Senate staff of the Committee on 

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for their work, and 

in particular, I, too, would like to recognize Jennifer Hemingway, 

who has been very helpful and very gracious to me during this 

process. I would also like to thank White House Counsel John 

Smith, who is present today and who has also been very helpful. 

It is a great honor to be here. Having litigated for the last 15 

years, I recognize the worth of brevity and so I would wrap up my 

remarks saying that I am happy to be here and happy to answer 

any questions that you have. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you very much. 

There are three questions that the Committee asks all of our 

nominees. I would like each of you to respond after I have asked 

the question. 

First, is there anything that you are aware of in your background 

that might conflict or present a conflict of interest with the duties 

of the office to which you have been nominated? 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. No, Mr. Chairman. 

Ms. THOMPSON. No, Mr. Chairman. 

Ms. ANDERSON. No, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Do you know of any reason, personal or otherwise, that would in any way prevent you from fully and honorably discharging the responsibilities of the office to which you have 

been nominated? 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. No, Mr. Chairman, I do not. 

Ms. THOMPSON. No, Mr. Chairman, I do not. 

Ms. ANDERSON. No, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Do you know of any reason, personal or otherwise, that would in any way prevent you from serving the full 

term for the office to which you have been nominated? 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. No, Mr. Chairman. 

Ms. THOMPSON. No, Mr. Chairman. 

Ms. ANDERSON. No, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator VOINOVICH. I would be very interested in knowing how 

you became aware of this judgeship. Ms. Rigsby, you are on the Superior Court and have experience, but was there an opening published and you indicated you were interested, or how did it work? 

I mean, you are on the inside. Maybe that is why you have so 

many people here today. [Laughter.] 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. When there is a vacancy created on 

either the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia or the Superior Court, the Judicial Nominations Commission publishes an 

9

announcement in a number of the local legal publications. But the 

court is a close-knit community, both the Associate Judges on the 

Superior Court and on the Court of Appeals, and many of them are 

colleagues and have been friends for many years working together. 

I was encouraged by some of my colleagues to consider applying for 

the Court of Appeals. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Judge Blackburne-Rigsby, why are you interested in serving on the Court of Appeals? You are going to be 

moving out of the trial court and going to appeals. What particularly was the main reason for making this change? 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. Thank you for that question, Mr. 

Chairman, because I have given it a lot of thought. I served at the 

Superior Court level for 10 years, 5 years as a magistrate and the 

last 5 years as an Associate Judge, and I have loved the trial court. 

But I also enjoy and have taken many opportunities to write opinions as a trial court judge, and I enjoy that process. The opportunity to serve on the Court of Appeals, which is our highest court, 

and makes—and interprets the law—not makes the law, that is 

your job, Mr. Chairman—interprets the law——

Senator VOINOVICH. I hope that is the way you see it. [Laughter.] 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY [continuing]. For the District of Columbia, and has oversight over our Bar, which is a distinguished 

Bar, is an opportunity that I would welcome and be honored to 

serve in that capacity, if confirmed. 

Senator VOINOVICH. In other words, you have had the experience 

on the trial level and have enjoyed writing opinions and believe 

that is where you could make a better contribution than perhaps 

you are making right now? 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. I think so, and I believe that the experience at the trial court level would allow me to bring an important perspective to the appellate process, having seen it at both levels of the trial court. The magistrate judges here dispose of many 

cases that never reach the Associate Judges on the Superior Court, 

and so having had both of those perspectives, I think, would allow 

me to bring some unique insights into the appellate process. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Ms. Thompson, you have been associated 

with a distinguished law firm here in town and became a partner. 

I suspect that you are making a lot more money than you are going 

to make. [Laughter.] 

But you have had no judicial experience. Why is it that you feel 

you want to serve on the Court of Appeals. 

Ms. THOMPSON. Thank you for that question, Senator. I do very 

much want to do this job. I have always thought throughout my career——

Senator VOINOVICH. And you noticed the publication and then 

you submitted an application. 

Ms. THOMPSON. That is correct. I actually saw a notice in the 

Daily Washington Law Reporter, I believe, a few years ago when 

I first applied for a position. What caused me to do it, frankly, is 

that I had been working for a body known as the D.C. Board of Appeals and Review. This was a volunteer body that functioned as a 

sort of intermediate level court of appeals for the District. The 

members were appointed by the Mayor, and we heard appeals from 

a variety of decisions by administrative law judges in the city and 

10

various civil infraction-type cases, and we also conducted hearings 

in a number of matters such as licensing matters. In that capacity—I was Vice Chair of the Board of Appeals and Review—I wrote 

many appellate——

Senator VOINOVICH. Was this pro bono? 

Ms. THOMPSON. It was, and that is in part why I thanked the 

members of my law firm, my professional colleagues, for giving me 

that opportunity because I did do it as pro bono work. I spent many 

hours doing it, and I wrote many appellate-type opinions, and I realized that I finally knew what I wanted to do when I grew up, actually—— [Laughter.] 

Ms. THOMPSON [continuing]. Because I enjoyed doing it so much. 

I think that is actually my greatest strength as a lawyer, the ability to analyze and read and write and do written analysis and the 

kinds of opinions that appellate judges write. And I had always 

wanted sometime during the course of my career to do government 

service for my native District of Columbia, and those things came 

together, and I did suddenly know what I wanted to do. 

Throughout my career at Covington and Burling, I have done 

work for State Government agencies, and in many respects, I have 

always felt like I was working for local government and enjoyed it 

very much. But in this capacity, I could really do that. 

And you are right. I will take a pay cut, but I am willing to do 

it. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Ms. Anderson, you have had extensive experience in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. What is it that makes the Superior Court attractive to you? 

Ms. ANDERSON. Well, I think that——

Senator VOINOVICH. Did you want to be a Judge when you started your legal career? 

Ms. ANDERSON. No, Senator. Actually, when—I came to the U.S. 

Attorney’s Office from a large law firm and, I think like many people, planned to get some good solid trial experience and then go 

back to my very well-paying law firm job and found instead that 

I absolutely loved the U.S. Attorney’s Office job and kind of loved 

the satisfaction of working in public service. And so instead of staying there the 3 or 4 years that I thought I would be, it has been 

151⁄2 years. 

I have, over the years, realized that is where I wanted to spend 

my time in public service, and I believe that my time at the U.S. 

Attorney’s Office—I have done a wide range of crimes from the 

most simple to the last 10 years where I have really been focused 

on the most serious local crime, that of homicides—has given me 

a kind of a great insight into the city and into the court. 

Senator VOINOVICH. So you spend a lot of time in the court? 

Ms. ANDERSON. Yes, I do, and I still try—I have been a supervisor for the last 5 years, but I still try cases. I have tried two 

homicide cases this year. So I think I have a very good sense of 

the court and what an impact that the court can make in many different ways, and I think the impact that one can make as a Judge 

is far greater than the impact that you can make as a prosecutor 

or a defense lawyer, and so that is why I applied. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Over the years you have had a chance to experience many different judges, haven’t you——

11

Ms. ANDERSON. I have, Senator. 

Senator VOINOVICH [continuing]. At the Superior Court. I am not 

trying to put you on the spot, but—— [Laughter.] 

What particular attributes do you hold high in terms of the 

judges that you have had to appear before? What are the things 

that really stand out that you have thought to yourself, if I ever 

get a chance to sit there, I am going to do that? 

Ms. ANDERSON. I have actually given a lot of thought to that 

question, Mr. Chairman, and I have had the opportunity to appear 

in Superior Court in front of a wide range of judges, and also in 

the U.S. District Court. I think, predominately, it is important that 

a Judge be fair, that it be very clear that the Judge is evaluating 

the facts and making a decision based on the facts and the applicable law. I also think that it is critical that a Judge have a good demeanor, I think which can be very difficult sometimes in Superior 

Court because it is a very tough environment and it doesn’t always 

run smoothly. But I think it is critical that a Judge treat the parties with respect and dignity. 

And I also think that it is very important that a good Judge in 

Superior Court is a good case manager because the crush of cases 

in that court, as I am sure you know, is very high, and I think the 

good judges are ones who keep the parties’ feet to the fire, recognize the need for continuances, if necessary, but also recognize 

stalling when they see it on either side and push forward and 

quickly decide issues. 

I also think that it is critical that a good Judge be decisive and 

hopefully know the law. I think my experience with the U.S. Attorney’s Office gives me a very good grounding in criminal law in particular. But I do think that as a litigant, I love to appear in front 

of a Judge that can rule quickly. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you. I suspect that your immigrant 

parents are very proud of you. 

Ms. ANDERSON. They most certainly are, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator VOINOVICH. I suspect they also encouraged you to work 

hard in school. 

Ms. ANDERSON. Yes. I think they believed—I think they raised 

all of us children with a very good work ethic, and I think we all 

felt growing up that we had been given this wonderful opportunity, 

that they had made a lot of sacrifices to come to this country. I 

think when you are smaller, you don’t have any sense of appreciation of that, but as you grow older and the idea of picking up your 

roots and moving, and we had no family in this country to speak 

of, I think as you get older, you appreciate that, and I very much 

appreciate what they did. 

Senator VOINOVICH. It is an amazing thing. All of you in your 

own rights have stories to say what a wonderful country we have. 

My grandparents on both sides were born overseas. My father was 

an orphan, so I never did get to know his parents, but I did get 

to know my mother’s parents. So often when I leave the Senate and 

walk down the steps—I like to walk up and down those steps to 

the Senate. It is like going up to an altar. [Laughter.] 

But when I come down, I look up at Freedom, and I pinch myself 

to think what a great country we live in. This is terrific. 

12

So I congratulate all of you on your respective careers. You are 

all distinguished individuals and should feel very proud of what 

you have accomplished. All of you, I know, could make more money 

in the private sector than you can in public service, but I think 

that the opportunity to make a difference in other people’s lives is 

something very important. You can’t be compensated for that. That 

is part of the thing I have enjoyed about my career in government. 

Next year, it will be 40 years for me. So I thank you for being willing to serve the District and to serve your country. 

We will do everything that we can to move your nominations 

along. 

I have really enjoyed listening to you today. 

Judge BLACKBURNE-RIGSBY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Ms. THOMPSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Ms. ANDERSON. Thank you. 

Senator VOINOVICH. Thank you very much. This hearing is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 10:45 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.] 

(13)

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