Biden nominates Rochester native to federal court bench

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, (D-New York), has recommended Rochester native, Colleen Holland, to President Joe Biden for nomination to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.

Holland was officially nominated by Biden on Wednesday.

“Colleen Holland, a true public servant and Rochester native, has already dedicated years of her career to the WDNY District Court – allowing her to gain vast expertise on the most important legal issues in Western NY while developing a rare and deep institutional knowledge of the court that would make her transition to the bench seamless,” Schumer said in a news release.

“Ms. Holland has a passion for the law and in ensuring the ongoing vitality of our democracy and truly understands the critical role that the federal judiciary plays in not only maintaining the rule of law, but also serving as a source of justice,” Schumer said.

Holland, 39, currently serves as special counsel to Chief Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford and has been with the court as a law clerk since 2017.

Before joining the federal court, Holland worked as a litigation associate at several firms in Rochester. She is a graduate of the University of Rochester, in 2006, and Cornell Law School, in 2010, where she graduated first in her class.