By U.S. Senator Deb Fischer
Last week, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Susan Bazis to the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska. That vote was a victory for Nebraska, and it was a long time coming. Ever since Judge John Gerrard, who previously held the seat, announced he would retire in February 2023, I’ve been working to find an exemplary candidate to replace him. Judge Bazis is exactly that.
Before Judge Gerrard’s move to senior status, I invited qualified candidates to apply for the judicial vacancy he would leave. I recommended Judge Bazis to President Biden for nomination because of her outstanding application and experience. On my recommendation, President Biden nominated Judge Bazis to Nebraska’s District Court.
Under the U.S. Constitution, the president nominates federal judges and the Senate votes to confirm them. This January, I was honored to express my support for Judge Bazis at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, where I urged my colleagues to approve her nomination. After the committee approved Judge Bazis, a bipartisan majority of the full Senate voted to confirm her to Nebraska’s federal district court.
Judge Bazis has a sharp legal mind and tremendous expertise in applying the law. She has decades of experience as an attorney, a judge, and a public servant. Judge Bazis is exceptionally capable — the American Bar Association Standing Committee rated her unanimously as Well Qualified, the highest possible rating.
Her record speaks for itself. Judge Bazis has served as a federal magistrate judge for the District of Nebraska for seven years. She is already highly familiar with the court, its processes, and its immense caseload. Over the course of her lengthy career, Judge Bazis has had well-rounded experience in both criminal and civil law. Before she was selected for her current position, she was a Nebraska County Court Judge for Douglas County for nearly a decade.
Her experience is not only reflected in her legal abilities, but also in her fair-minded temperament, her professional character, and her integrity. Judge Bazis’ qualifications and commitment to upholding our laws and our Constitution leave no questions about her ability to take on this role as a federal judge.
For all these reasons, it was a privilege to spearhead Judge Bazis’ recommendation, nomination, and confirmation process. This process is never easy on nominees — they are under intense scrutiny from all 100 senators. Nevertheless, Judge Bazis handled the process with tenacity and grace. She was sworn in on Wednesday, April 10, at a ceremony at the court in Omaha, drawing this momentous confirmation process to a close.
Few senators get the opportunity to shepherd the confirmation process of multiple federal judges. I’ve been fortunate to get four outstanding Nebraska judges confirmed to federal district and circuit courts during my time in the Senate — under presidents from both parties. Our courts are essential to distributing equal justice under law to Nebraskans and Americans, and I’m proud of our work to confirm Judge Bazis as the newest member of our state’s federal bench.
Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.