Carper, Coons’ judicial candidates receive support of Senate Judiciary Committee, will proceed to Senate floor

WILMINGTON, DE. – WILMINGTON, DE – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons announced today that the nominees they recommended for judgeships on the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, Maryellen Noreika and Colm F. Connolly, have been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Their nominations will proceed to a Senate confirmation vote in the coming months.

“Colm and Maryellen both have a wide breadth of knowledge, many years of experience and the respect of their peers in the judicial system,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “I look forward to them swiftly moving to confirmation so they can hit the ground running.”

“This is great news for Delaware’s federal courts as we become one step closer to having a filled bench,” said Sen. Coons, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “As seen in their committee hearings, Colm Connolly and Maryellen Noreika are talented, capable jurists, and I’m glad we’re able to progress to this point.”

Ms. Noreika has practiced law in Delaware for nearly 24 years at Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP, in Wilmington, where she is a partner and represents plaintiffs, defendants, individuals, and companies large and small. She focuses on intellectual property matters and complex litigation in federal courts. Ms. Noreika has been appointed to multiple advisory committees assisting the court and has served as a mentor for young attorneys in a federal judges training program. She has a B.S. in Biology from Lehigh University, an M.S. in Biology from Colombia University and a J.D. from University of Pittsburgh.

Mr. Connolly is a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, in Wilmington, where he is a member of the litigation and intellectual property groups. He served as the United States Attorney from 2001 to 2009, during which he established the Delaware Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council consisting of 25 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to coordinate training and the collection and dissemination of intelligence information. Connolly was previously an Assistant U.S. Attorney and a partner at Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell, LLP. He has a B.A. in Liberal Studies from the University of Notre Dame, an M.S. in Political Philosophy from the London School of Economics, and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law.