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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                         (Aboard Air Force One)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                       June 7, 2000
          PRESIDENT CLINTON NOMINATES KEITH GARY SEBELIUS, KEN SIMON,
                 AND JOHN EDWIN STEELE TO THE FEDERAL BENCH

     The President yesterday nominated Keith Gary Sebelius to the U.S.

District Court for the District of Kansas, Ken Simon to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, and John Edwin Steele to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Keith Gary Sebelius, of Topeka, Kansas, has been a partner at Wright, Henson, Somers, Sebelius, Clark & Baker since 1993. Prior to assuming his current position, Sebelius served as a partner at Davis, Wright, Unrein, Hummer & McCallister (1989-1993). He previously worked at the firm of Eidson, Lewis, Porter & Haynes as a partner (1979-1989) and as an associate (1974-1979). Sebelius received his B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Kansas State University in 1971 and his J.D. degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1974.

Ken Simon, of Birmingham, Alabama, has been a partner at Simon Borden, LLP since 1998, and has been an adjunct member of the Cumberland Law School faculty since 1999. Prior to joining Simon Borden, Simon was a partner at Bradley, Arant, Rose & White (1996-1998), a state circuit court judge (1992-1996), and a partner at Spain & Gillon (1989-1992). He also worked as an Assistant Director, Branch Chief, and Staff Attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission (1984-1989), and was a Special Assistant to the Attorney General as a White House Fellow (1983-1984). He began his legal career as an associate at Nettles, Cox & Barker (1979-1983). Simon received his B.A. degree from the University of South Alabama in 1976 and his J.D. degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1979.

John Edwin Steele, of St. Augustine, Florida, has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Florida since 1991. Prior to assuming the federal bench, Steele was a litigation attorney at Mahoney, Adams & Criser (1988-1991). He previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida (1981-1988), and was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan (1980-1981). Steele was also an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney with the Ingham County Prosecutor's Office (1977-1980), and worked as a prosecutor for the Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney's Office (1974-1977). He received his B.A. degree from the University of Detroit in 1971 and his J.D. degree from the University of Detroit College of Law in 1973.

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