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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                             (Akron, Ohio)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                       May 12, 2000

PRESIDENT CLINTON NOMINATES JOHN W. DARRAH, JOAN H. LEFKOW, RICARDO MORADO, MICHAEL J. REAGAN AND GEORGE Z. SINGAL TO THE FEDERAL BENCH

The President yesterday nominated John W. Darrah to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Joan H. Lefkow to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Ricardo Morado to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Michael J. Reagan to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, and George Z. Singal to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine.

John W. Darrah, of Naperville, Illinois, has been a judge on the 18th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois since 1986, and has worked as an Adjunct Professor at Northern Illinois University College of Law since 1972. Prior to joining the state judiciary, Darrah was a solo practitioner (1984-1986), and served as a partner at the firms of Ryan, Darrah & Stringini (1981-1984) and Ryan & Darrah (1976-1981). Darrah was previously an Assistant State's Attorney (1973-1976), a partner at Cox, Lyle & Darrah (1971-1973), a part-time Deputy Public Defender for the DuPage County Public Defender's Office (1971-1973), and an Attorney Advisor for the Federal Trade Commission (1969-1971). He received his B.S. degree from Loyola University in 1965 and his J.D. degree from Loyola University School of Law in 1969.

Joan H. Lefkow, of Chicago, Illinois, has been a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Illinois since 1997. Prior to becoming a bankruptcy judge, Lefkow was a Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (1982-1997). She also served as the Executive Director of the Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation (1981-1982), an instructor at the University of Miami Law School (1980-1981), and an Administrative Law Judge for the Illinois Fair Employment Practices Commission (1975-1979). Lefkow began her legal career as a staff attorney for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago (1972-1975). She received her A.B. degree from Wheaton College (Illinois) in 1965 and her J.D. degree from Northwestern University Law School in 1971. Following law school, Lefkow clerked for the Honorable Thomas E. Fairchild of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (1971-1972).

Ricardo Morado, of San Benito, Texas, has been a partner at Roerig, Oliveira & Fisher since 1987, and was an associate with the firm from 1984 to 1987. He has also served as Mayor of San Benito since 1998. Morado received his B.A. degree from the University of Texas in 1980 and his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School in 1984.

Michael J. Reagan, of Belleville, Illinois, has been a solo practitioner in Belleville since 1995, and has been a part-time Assistant Public Defender for St. Clair County, Illinois since 1996. Reagan was previously a shareholder (1984-1995) and an associate (1980-1984) for Kassly, Bone, Becker, Dix, Reagan and Young. He also held part-time positions as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law at St. Louis University (1982-1988) and an instructor at Belleville Area College (1980-1983). Reagan received his B.S. degree from Bradley University in 1976 and his J.D. degree from St. Louis University in 1980.

George Z. Singal, of Bangor, Maine, has been a partner at Gross, Minsky, Mogul and Singal since 1973, and was an associate with the firm from 1970 to 1973. Singal was also a part-time Assistant County Attorney from 1971 to 1973. He received his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Maine in 1967 and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1970.

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