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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release August 5, 1999

PRESIDENT CLINTON NOMINATES STEVEN D. BELL, RONALD A. GUZMAN, DAVID M. LAWSON, MARIANNE O. BATTANI, ANN CLAIRE WILLIAMS, AND JAMES A. WYNN, JR.

TO THE FEDERAL BENCH

The President today nominated Steven D. Bell to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Ronald A. Guzman to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, David M. Lawson to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Marianne O. Battani to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Ann Claire Williams to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and James A. Wynn, Jr. to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Steven D. Bell, of Akron, Ohio, has been a partner with Ulmer & Berne LLP since 1991. Prior to joining Ulmer & Berne, Mr. Bell was a partner at Janik & Bell from 1988 to 1991; an Assistant U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio from 1984 to 1988; and an Assistant Director of Law in the Department of Law for the City of Akron from 1981 to 1984. In addition, from 1980 to 1981, he was a partner at Bulford, McKenna & Bell, and from 1979 to 1980 at the Law Offices of Steven D. Bell. At the beginning of his career, Mr. Bell was a law clerk for the Summit County Court of Common Pleas from 1976 to 1979. He received his B.A. in 1975 from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. in 1978 from the University of Akron School of Law.

Ronald A. Guzman, of LaGrange Park, Illinois, has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Illinois since 1990. Prior to his appointment as a magistrate judge, Judge Guzman was a partner at Pileggi, Guzman, Ginex & Fecarotta from 1980 to 1990 and a part-time staff attorney at the Association House of Chicago from 1980 to 1984. In addition, from 1975 to 1980, he was an Assistant States Attorney in the Cook County States Attorney's Office, and from 1973 to 1974, he was a partner at Rodriguez and Guzman. Judge Guzman received his B.A. in 1970 from Lehigh University and his J.D. in 1973 from New York University Law School.

David M. Lawson, of Troy, Michigan, has been a member of Clark Hill PLC since 1994. Prior to joining Clark Hill PLC, Mr. Lawson was a partner at Lizza, Mulcahy, Casey & Lawson from 1985 to 1994 and served as a Special Livingston County Prosecuting Attorney from 1991 to 1993. He was also a partner at Lawson & Lawson PC from 1977 to 1985 and served as a Special Assistant Attorney General from 1978 to 1980. Since 1977, he has been a member of the faculty of the Michigan Judicial Institute and has lectured extensively on evidence and procedure to judges and lawyers throughout the country. Mr. Lawson received his B.A., magna cum laude, in 1972 from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1976 from Wayne State University. Following law school, Mr. Lawson served as a law clerk to the Honorable James Ryan on the Michigan Supreme Court from 1976 to 1977.

Marianne O. Battani, of Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, has been a Judge on the Wayne County Circuit Court since 1982. Prior to her appointment to the Wayne County Circuit Court, Judge Battani was a Judge on the 36th District Court for the City of Detroit from 1981 to 1982 and on the Common Pleas Court for the City of Detroit in 1981. In addition, she practiced law in the Law Office of Marianne O. Battani from 1974 to 1981, and from 1972 to 1974 as an Associate Attorney in the Law Offices of Donald E. Gratrix. She received her B.A., cum laude, in 1966 from the University of Detroit, and her J.D., cum laude, in 1972 from the Detroit College of Law.

Ann Claire Williams, of Chicago, Illinois, has served as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois since 1985. Prior to her appointment, Judge Williams served in the U.S. Attorney's Office as Chief of the Drug Task Force from 1983 to 1984. From 1980 to 1983, she was the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Receiving and Appellate Unit in the U.S. Attorney's Office. Judge Williams was also an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Litigation Division from 1978 to 1980, and in the Criminal Receiving and Appellate Unit from 1976 to 1978. She received a B.S. degree in 1970 from Wayne State University, an M.A. degree in 1972 from the University of Michigan, and a J.D. degree in 1975 from the University of Notre Dame Law School. Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable Robert A. Sprecher on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1975 to 1976.

James A. Wynn, Jr., of Cary, North Carolina, has almost continuously been an Associate Judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals since 1990. Judge Wynn was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 1998, but returned to the Court of Appeals after his defeat by a narrow margin in the subsequent election. Prior to his appointment to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, he was a partner at Fitch, Wynn & Associates from 1988 to 1990; a partner at Fitch, Butterfield & Wynn from 1986 to 1988; and an Associate at Fitch and Butterfield from 1984 to 1986. Judge Wynn also served as an Assistant Appellate Defender in the Office of Appellate Defender for North Carolina from 1983 to 1984. Finally, since 1979, he has been a member of the Judge Advocate General's Corps for the U.S. Navy where he currently holds the rank of Captain. Judge Wynn received his B.A. in 1975 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his J.D. in 1979 from Marquette University School of Law, and his L.L.M. in 1995 from the University of Virginia School of Law.

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