Lawyer named bankruptcy judge

11/7/2000

Mary Ann Whipple, an attorney at the Toledo law firm of Fuller & Henry, has been chosen as the next judge in U.S. Bankruptcy Court here.

Ms. Whipple, a 1981 graduate of the Stanford University law school, was selected by the 12 judges of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Kay Lockett, associate executive of the circuit court, said yesterday.

The appointment will not be final until the FBI and the IRS have concluded a background investigation, she said.

Ms. Whipple, 44, will replace Judge Walter Krasniewski, who retired in 1997. Judge Richard Speer has been the only judge on the local bankruptcy bench since that time.

She said yesterday she is pleased to have been chosen but won't consider the process complete until she is sworn in.

In the course of nearly 20 years as a lawyer, Ms. Whipple said she has “developed a passion for bankruptcy law.” She said she's not different from many lawyers who practice in courtrooms and at one time or another think about becoming a judge.

The combination seemed right to apply for the judgeship, she said.

The position of a bankruptcy court judge is a 14-year term which pays about $130,000 annually.