Welch Brings Public Defender View to Senate Judiciary Panel (1)

Feb. 9, 2023, 9:45 AM UTCUpdated: Feb. 9, 2023, 5:11 PM UTC

Democrat Peter Welch, the newest member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, shares something in common with many of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees: a public defender background.

Welch, who replaced Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in the chamber and on the committee, was a local defender early in his career before serving in the Vermont legislature and the US House.

“I just had a desire to help folks who really didn’t have access to justice,” Welch said in an interview with Bloomberg Law. “And then secondly, I liked being in the courtroom.”

Biden has prioritized demographic and professional diversity among his judicial ...

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