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Floor Speech
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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Jacqueline Becerra to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
A Miami native, Judge Jacqueline Becerra's experience in both criminal and civil matters has prepared her to serve with distinction on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
After receiving her B.A. from the University of Miami in 1991 and her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1994, Judge Becerra began her legal career through the U.S. Department of Justice's Honors Program, where she served as a trial attorney in the Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch.
Following her work at DOJ, she became an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and served in the office's misdemeanor, grand jury, and general felony units. In 1999, Judge Becerra joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. There, she served in the narcotics section and as special counsel to the U.S. Attorney.
In 2004, Judge Becerra joined Greenberg Traurig, P.A., as a shareholder, where much of her work centered on commercial disputes, arbitrations, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations and compliance work. She also served as cochair of the firm's Global White- Collar Defense and Investigations Practice and cochair of the Women's Initiative.
In 2019, Judge Becerra was appointed by the district judges of the Southern District of Florida to serve as a U.S. magistrate judge. In this role, she has presided over four civil trials and issued more than 1,100 orders and reports and recommendations.
She was also unanimously rated ``well qualified'' by the ABA, and Senators Rubio and Scott both returned positive blue slips.
With strong ties to the State of Florida, Judge Becerra's experience in public service, private practice, and as a magistrate judge have prepared her to join the Southern District of Florida as a district judge.
I am proud to support her nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same.
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