Obama nominates bankruptcy judge Pamela Pepper for eastern Wisconsin federal court bench

MILWAUKEE — President Barack Obama has nominated Pamela Pepper to fill a seat on the U.S. District Court for eastern Wisconsin.

Pepper currently is chief judge of U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Milwaukee. In announcing her nomination Thursday, Obama said Pepper has "a long and distinguished record of service."

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/SfwGX4 ) reports Pepper would be the first woman to serve as a U.S. District judge in the eastern district, which is based in Milwaukee and has a satellite courthouse in Green Bay.

Pepper was one of three names forwarded to the White House by a nominating commission convened by Wisconsin U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin.

Pepper graduated from Cornell Law School in 1989 and has worked as a federal prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer.

Senate confirmation is needed.