Shelly Deckert Dick

Shelly Dick
Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 10, 2013
Appointed by Barack Obama
Preceded by Ralph Tyson
Personal details
Born 1960 (age 54–55)
El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater University of North Texas, Denton
University of Texas, Austin
Louisiana State University, Baton
Rouge

Rachelle "Shelly" Lynne Deckert Dick (born 1960) is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.

Biography

Dick was born Rachelle Lynne Deckert in 1960 in El Paso, Texas. She received her Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, from the University of Texas in 1981 and her Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State University Paul M. Herbert Law Center in 1988. From 1988 to 1994, she worked at the law firm of Gary, Field, Landry and Dornier. From 1994 to 2013, she was a partner at the law firm of Forrester, Dick & Clark. During her private career, she litigated a wide variety of cases in both state and federal courts. From 2008 to 2013, she also served as an Ad Hoc Hearing Officer appointed by the Louisiana Workforce Commission to hear worker's compensation cases and other administrative matters.[1][2]

Federal judicial service

On April 25, 2012, President Obama nominated Dick to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, to the seat vacated by Judge Ralph E. Tyson.[3] Senator David Vitter initially refused to return his "blue slip", effectively blocking her nomination.[4] On November 28, 2012, Senator Vitter announced that he would return his "blue slip", permitting confirmation proceedings to proceed on Dick's nomination.[5] She received a hearing on December 12, 2012. On January 2, 2013, her nomination was returned to the President, due to the sine die adjournment of the Senate.

On January 3, 2013, she was renominated to the same office. Her nomination was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 28, 2013, by voice vote.[6] Her nomination was confirmed by voice vote on May 9, 2013. She received her commission on May 10, 2013. Dick is the first woman to serve as a judge in the Middle District.

References

  1. ↑ Nomination announcement from whitehouse.gov
  2. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire
  3. ↑ Nomination announcement from whitehouse.gov
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ "Vitter Removes Block on Judicial Nominee", The Advocate, November 28, 2012
  6. ↑ Renomination announcement
Legal offices
Preceded by
Ralph Tyson		 Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
2013–present 		Incumbent