Washington Lawyer - September/October 2024 - 20

FEATURE
sure it was something
I wanted to do, " says PuigLugo,
who served on D.C
Superior Court for 24 years
before applying for senior
status last summer.
JUDGE HIRAM E. PUIG-LUGO
Puig-Lugo came to Washington,
D.C., in 1988 to work for
the Public Defender Service
for the District of Columbia
(PDS). About five years into
practice, some of his colleagues
urged him to apply
for the Superior Court vacancy
left by Judge Ricardo M.
Urbina following the latter's
appointment to the U.S. District
Court for the District of
Columbia. " These were people
that I respected and, out
of deference to their request, I submitted my application. I barely satisfied
the requirements, but I went through with it, " he says.
" I met with the commission. They didn't select me, which was fine. I felt
like I had respected the recommendation and the suggestion of these
individuals that I highly respected to take that step, " Puig-Lugo says. He
later learned from Judge Annice Wagner, then-chair of the JNC, that the
commission felt he needed more experience.
Puig-Lugo stayed with PDS until 1996, when he joined the Criminal Section
of the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division. After a
couple of years in that role, he applied to Superior Court again, and this
time he was successful. President Clinton nominated him in 1999, and
the Senate confirmed him the same year.
Even before taking the bench, Puig-Lugo was concerned about the great
responsibility that came with the position. " I was nervous about making
decisions that would impact the lives of other people, " he says. " With
more experience, and upon later reflection, I thought that I would be
very thoughtful in making those decisions. When I came to that conclusion,
I submitted my application for the second time. "
Puig-Lugo was one of the judges who volunteered to serve on the Family
Court when it was created in 2001, spending 13 years of his tenure there.
" I thought it was very important to make sure that children and families
have the support that they need and the services that might help them
get to where they would like to be, " he says. " Family Court was, for me,
the most challenging and rewarding part of my judicial career. "
Puig-Lugo also points out that judges have an important role in the community.
" Sitting in a courtroom, wearing a black robe, is only part of what
judges do; we do other things as well, " he says, such as getting involved
with community education programs, meeting with members of the bar,
visiting schools, and engaging with community-based organizations.
" There are many things we need to do to make sure we're transparent
and that you trust us, " he says.
Since his retirement, Puig-Lugo has joined The McCammon Group as
a mediator, work that allows him to continue participating in the resolu20
WASHINGTON LAWYER
* SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024
FORMER JUDGE DAVID S. TATEL
tion of disputes or conflicts, but through collaboration rather than litigation.
WHEN
STARS ALIGN
Although the nomination and confirmation processes are different for
federal judges, former judge David S. Tatel's experience resembled that
of Briggs, Howard, and Puig-Lugo. " Fortunately for me, the stars were
properly aligned, " says Tatel, who retired in January 2024 after 30 years on
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
When a vacancy is created on a federal court, the White House solicits
recommendations from the home state senators. Those who are recommended
fill out a questionnaire and undergo a background check, followed
by interviews. After the president formally nominates a candidate,
the Senate Judiciary Committee sends a blue slip to each home state
senator to support or oppose the nomination. If the committee votes favorably,
the nomination moves forward to the Senate floor for a full vote.
A simple majority determines confirmation.
Tatel's early career ambition was to head the DOJ's Civil Rights Division.
During the 1960s he admired the work that the agency was doing to advance
the cause of civil rights, and his own credentials as founding director
of the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, direcCourtesy
of David Tatel
The McCammon Group
Washington Lawyer - September/October 2024

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