JNC Recommends Candidates for District of Columbia Superior Court Vacancies

The District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission ("Commission") has recommended to the President the names of the six attorneys listed below for his consideration in selecting nominees to fill the judicial vacancies on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia ("Superior Court") created by the retirement of the Honorable Craig S. Iscoe and the Honorable Kimberley S. Knowles. The President has sixty (60) days to select a nominee to fill each vacancy.

The Commission recommends the following candidates for the Iscoe vacancy:

Niquelle M. Allen, Esq., currently serves as the Director of Open Government for the District of Columbia Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA), where she's responsible for enforcing the Open Meetings Act and advising District government agencies, leadership, and the public on the District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act.

Before joining BEGA, Ms. Allen served as Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel for the District's Office of the Chief Technology Officer, where she played a key role in implementing the District's Open Data policies. She also served with distinction as an Assistant Attorney General in the District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General (OAG). In that role, she served in the General Counsel's office of several District government agencies and gained extensive litigation experience with OAG's Civil Litigation Division. Before her service with the government, Ms. Allen practiced law in the private sector, focusing on civil litigation, telecommunications, intellectual property, and media law.

Ms. Allen received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University.

Michael C. DiLorenzo, Esq., currently serves as a Deputy Chief in the National Security Section at the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC), where he investigates and supervises matters relating to national security.

Before his current role, Mr. DiLorenzo served as a trial attorney in the Fraud Section, FCPA Unit of the Criminal Division at the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), where he prosecuted corruption and money laundering cases. While at DOJ, he was detailed to the Executive Office of the President's National Security Council as the Director for Counterterrorism. Further, Mr. DiLorenzo served in the Criminal Division, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, where he prosecuted international drug trafficking organizations. In recognition of his work, he earned the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service and the Assistant Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service.

Mr. DiLorenzo received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Villanova University and his Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. Following law school, he clerked for the Honorable William M. Jackson on the Superior Court.

Jennifer L. Farer, Esq., currently serves as Senior Trial Counsel with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Enforcement Division, where she litigates complex securities enforcement actions. She previously served as a federal prosecutor in the DOJ Fraud Section of the Criminal Division, where she investigated and prosecuted complex financial fraud cases, served as the Elder Fraud Coordinator, and tried several cases to conviction. While at DOJ, Ms. Farer was detailed to the United States Department of the Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, serving as Senior Advisor to the Enforcement Division and then Acting Assistant Chief Counsel for Litigation and Enforcement in the Office of Chief Counsel.

Before her roles in public service, Ms. Farer was a partner at McGuireWoods LLP and an associate at Saul Ewing LLP. While in private practice, she represented clients in criminal and civil enforcement matters, internal investigations, and complex litigation and advised on regulatory compliance. She also maintained an active pro bono practice and commitment to community service.

Ms. Farer earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Saint Joseph's University's Honors Program and her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from American University Washington College of Law. Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee (Ret.) on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Honorable Mary Ellen Barbera (Ret.) on Maryland's Court of Special Appeals.

The Commission recommends the following candidates for the Knowles vacancy.

Craig E. Leen, Esq., is currently a Partner at K&L Gates. He also serves as the office's Pro Bono Coordinator. Before joining K&L Gates, Mr. Leen served as Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs at the United States Department of Labor, where he received the Secretary's Exceptional Achievement Award - Professional in 2019. He also served as the City Attorney for the City of Coral Gables. Further, Mr. Leen served in the Miami-Dade County Attorney's Office as Chief of the Appeals Section and Chief of the Federal Litigation Section.

Mr. Leen is President-Elect of the Bar Association of the District of Columbia. He is a Professorial Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School, teaching Government Lawyering, Disability Rights Law, and Local Government Law. Further, he serves as Vice Chair of the District of Columbia Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, Co-Chair of the District of Columbia Family Support Council, and Vice President of the Board of Trustees at St. Coletta of Greater Washington. He is on the steering committee of the D.C. Affairs Community of the D.C. Bar and is a member of the Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee.

Mr. Leen received his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Georgetown University and his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where he graduated as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Following law school, he clerked for the Honorable Robert E. Keeton on the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Christine M. Macey, Esq., currently serves as a Deputy Chief in the Federal Major Crimes Section at the USAO-DC. In this role, she supervises Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) who prosecute a wide variety of federal cases, including firearms and narcotics offenses.

Before her current role, Ms. Macey served as a senior AUSA investigating and prosecuting homicide cases in the Superior Court and fraud cases in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She also prosecuted cases ranging from misdemeanors to violent felonies, including briefing and arguing cases on appeal. Ms. Macey has received numerous Special Achievement Awards for superior performance as an AUSA and, in 2022, received the Assistant Attorney General Award for Exceptional Service.

Ms. Macey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Saginaw Valley State University and her Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center, where she served as an Articles Editor on the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. Following law school, Ms. Macey clerked for the
Honorable Lee F. Satterfield on the Superior Court.

John B. Timmer, Esq., currently serves as Senior Trial Counsel in the Enforcement Division at the SEC, where he is the lead attorney on complex securities fraud cases brought in federal district court.

Before joining the SEC, Mr. Timmer served as an AUSA at the USAO-DC, where he investigated and tried cases in the Superior Court, ranging from assaults to homicides. While at the USAO-DC, he also served as a Deputy Chief, supervising the prosecution of some of the most serious violent felonies charged in the District. Further, Mr. Timmer was an associate at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP.

Mr. Timmer received his Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Dartmouth College and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Following law school, he clerked for the Honorable Ellen Segal Huvelle on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Please direct any questions to the Commission's Executive Director, Tracy B. Nutall, Esq., at (202) 879-0478 or [email protected].

Members of the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission

The Honorable Marie C. Johns
PPC-Leftwich
1400 K Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005-2403
(202) 434-9124
[email protected]

Benjamin F. Wilson, Esq.
7825 Orchid Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20012
(202) 657-2534
[email protected]

Addy R. Schmitt, Esq.
Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler LLP
1775 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite 650
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 617-5791
[email protected]

Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Esq.
Dechert LLP
1900 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-1110
(202) 261-3432
[email protected]

The Honorable Linda W. Cropp
4001 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20011
(202) 726-0505
[email protected]

The Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan
United States District Court
for the District of Columbia
United States Courthouse
333 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 354-3390
[email protected]