Washington D.C. Office
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2854
(202) 228-4260 fax
(202 228-1404 TDD
Email our office

Chicago Office
John C. Kluczynski Federal Office Building
230 South Dearborn St.
Suite 3900 (39th floor)
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 886-3506
(312) 886-3514 fax
Toll free: (866) 445-2520
(for IL residents only)

Springfield Office
607 East Adams Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701
(217) 492-5089
(217) 492-5099 fax

Marion Office
701 North Court Street
Marion, Illinois 62959
(618) 997-2402
(618) 997-2850 fax

Moline Office
1911 52nd Avenue
Moline, Illinois 61265
(309)736-1217
(309)736-1233 fax

Durbin, Obama: Senate Approves Robert M. Dow For Federal Judgeship in Northern Illinois

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

For Immediate Release
Contact: Christina Mulka (Durbin) or Amy Brundage (Obama)

WASHINGTON, DC- The U.S. Senate today approved the nomination of Robert M. Dow to be a U.S. District Court Judge in the Northern District of Illinois by a vote of 86-0. Dow’s name was sent to the President for his consideration by former Speaker Dennis Hastert in consultation with U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). The State of Illinois has a long tradition of bipartisan cooperation in the recommendation of federal district court nominees for Presidential consideration.

“Robert Dow is a highly respected lawyer, well known for his keen intellect, good judgment and excellent temperament,” said Durbin. “I believe he will make a fine judge and I am pleased that he was confirmed today by the full Senate.”

“Mr. Dow has demonstrated a strong personal commitment to pro bono work and public service, both of which will suit him well as a federal judge,” Senator Obama said. “I join Senator Durbin in congratulating Mr. Dow on his confirmation.”

Mr. Dow is a partner at one of Chicago’s largest and most prestigious law firms – Mayer Brown. Earlier this year, he was named one of the 21 leading lawyers in the United States in the field of telecommunications, broadcast, and satellite law. He has been listed the past two years as an Illinois Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine in the field of appellate law, and he has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America publication in the field of communications law. He has also been honored for his commitment to pro bono legal work and received the pro bono lawyer of the year award form his law firm in 2004. Mr. Dow lives in Joliet, Illinois with his wife Elizabeth and four children. He attended Harvard, Yale, and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

The President traditionally respects the wishes of a home-state senator of his own party in making federal district court nominations. In cases where both U.S. senators are of the opposite party from the President, he usually consults with the highest ranking elected official of his own party