THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ________________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release September 5, 1995 PRESIDENT NOMINATES MERRICK B. GARLAND TO U.S. COURT OF APPEALS The President today nominated Merrick B. Garland to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Merrick B. Garland, 42, is currently the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General, serving as senior advisor and chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Jamie S. Gorelick. In that capacity, he has been responsible for coordinating the Justice Department's prosecution in the Oklahoma City bombing case. Garland has an extensive background in criminal law, having served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division prior to taking his current post and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1989-1992. Before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office, Garland was a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Arnold & Porter, where he maintained a practice in criminal, civil, and appellate litigation. A native of Illinois, Garland earned his B.A. degree from Harvard College and his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. Upon graduation from law school, Garland served as a law clerk to Judge Henry Friendly of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and later for Justice William Brennan, Jr., of the United States Supreme Court. Garland and his wife, Lynn, live in Maryland. Upon confirmation, Garland would become one of 12 judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. -30 - 30 - 30-