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Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Camela Theeler to the U.S. District Court for District of South Dakota.

Judge Theeler's deep ties to South Dakota and her experience in the courtroom--as a litigator and on the bench--have prepared her to serve as a U.S. District Judge. After receiving her B.A. and J.D. from the University of South Dakota, Judge Theeler began her legal career in private practice before clerking for the judges of the First Judicial Circuit of the South Dakota Unified Judicial System. Thereafter, Judge Theeler returned to private practice, working on a range of cases, including personal injury/worker's compensation, business litigation, employment law, and criminal defense work. From 2012 to 2018, Judge Theeler served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota, becoming deputy civil chief in 2016.

Over the course of her legal career, Judge Theeler tried eight cases to verdict, judgment, or final decision. Since 2018, she has served as a circuit court judge for the State of South Dakota, located in the Second Judicial District. Judge Theeler has presided over 57 trials that have gone to verdict or judgment.

Judge Theeler has the strong support from her home State Senators, Mr. Thune and Mr. Rounds. In addition, she was unanimously rated ``well qualified'' by the American Bar Association.

I urge my colleagues to support Judge Theeler's nomination.

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