NEW ORLEANS – Nancy Scott Degan, office managing shareholder of Baker Donelson's New Orleans office, has been appointed as chair of the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary of the American Bar Association (ABA).
As chair of the committee, Degan oversees the group which evaluates the qualifications of all nominees to the Supreme Court of the United States, circuit courts of appeal, district courts, the Court of International Trade and the territorial district courts for the Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The committee is comprised of 15 members: two members from the Ninth Circuit, one member from each of the other federal judicial circuits and the chair. Each member is appointed by the ABA President and contributes several hundred hours per year to this public service.
Appointment to the Committee is based on a lawyer's possession of the highest professional stature and integrity, and members have varied professional experiences and backgrounds, ABA reps said.
Degan serves on Baker Donelson's Board of Directors and is a member of the Firm's Business Litigation Group; she has extensive experience helping businesses and business people resolve disputes through negotiations, trials, appeals and alternative dispute resolution. She is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and served as chair of the ABA's 60,000 member Section of Litigation from 2014 – 2015. Degan is frequently recognized as a leading lawyer by national publications, including The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, and Benchmark Litigation, as well as local publications, including Louisiana Super Lawyers, New Orleans Magazine's "Top Lawyers" list and New Orleans CityBusiness' "Women of the Year" and "Leadership in Law" lists.
About the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary
Since 1953, The American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary has evaluated prospective nominees to the federal bench, based solely on their integrity, professional competence and judicial temperament. The Committee does not consider a prospective nominee's philosophy, political affiliation or ideology.
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