3 named finalists in search for federal judge candidate

Two Toledo lawyers and a Michigan federal bankruptcy judge have been chosen as the three finalists in the search for a candidate to replace U.S. District Court Judge James Carr, who recently assumed senior status.

Steven Collier of Connelly, Jackson, & Collier, Jeffrey Helmick of Gamso, Helmick, & Hoolahan, and Judge Thomas Tucker of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Eastern District of Michigan were selected by a committee as finalists for the federal judgeship. The men were chosen by a bipartisan commission from a candidate pool of 17. Fifteen of the candidates were interviewed.

Meghan Dubyak, spokesman for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, said the nominations are the result of a bipartisan commission created by Senator Brown and U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, a Republican, to review potential candidates. Now that the commission has narrowed the field to three, each candidate will meet with Senator Brown, who will then make the final recommendation to President Obama, she said.

She said the process was used to fill the last two vacancies for federal judge statewide. "This is the first time both senators have been very engaged in the process," she said.

According to information provided by the senator's office, Mr. Collier is a partner in Connelly, Jackson, & Collier in Toledo, where he began practicing after graduating with a law degree from the University of Cincinnati. He also has been an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Toledo Health Science Campus, formerly Medical College of Ohio.

Described as "an experienced civil litigator," Mr. Collier was touted for writing a number of articles on settlement and litigation practices as well as for his active role in local and national bar associations.

He could not be reached for comment Monday.

Mr. Helmick received his law degree from the Ohio State University Moritz college of law. He is a principal in Gamso, Helmick & Hoolahan in Toledo, where he has been for the past 13 years.

Mr. Helmick served on the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Education and is a member of the U.S. Attorney's Advisory Council for the Northern District of Ohio. "I'm deeply honored to be selected as a finalist," Mr. Helmick said.

A graduate of Harvard law school, Judge Tucker was a partner in the Toledo-based Cooper & Walinski LPA, where he practiced for 20 years before becoming a U.S. bankruptcy judge in 2003.

According to the senator's office, he moved to Michigan "one and a half miles north of Toledo" when he became a judge but has maintained an active role in community organizations in Toledo.

Ms. Dubyak said the candidate would have to return to Ohio if appointed to the federal judgeship.

Judge Tucker was out of his office Monday and unavailable for comment.

The three men each submitted applications to the senator's office and were subsequently interviewed by the commission. To dispel concerns of favoritism, the 17-member commission in the northern district is made up of members living and working in the southern district of Ohio.

The vacancy was announced earlier this year when Judge Carr, who was the former chief judge for the U.S. District Court's northern division, sent a letter to President Obama in January announcing his intention to retire from active service and take on the role of a senior judge. He has said that he wanted to give this President the chance to fill the position.

The federal court in Toledo houses two active judges and a full-time magistrate.

Four years ago, Judge David Katz chose to go to senior status, giving the courthouse a third judge. When Judge Katz moved to senior status in 2006, Judge Jack Zouhary was nominated by the two Ohio senators and confirmed by Congress. With the appointment of a new judge, Toledo's courthouse will house four judges.

Contact Erica Blake at:

eblake@theblade.com

or 419-213-2134.