WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 – The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nomination of Mary Kay Lanthier, of Orwell, Vermont, to be the next District Court judge for the District of Vermont. President Biden nominated Lanthier at the joint recommendation of Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). Her nomination was advanced by the committee with a bipartisan vote of 13 to 7 and goes next to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote.

“Mary Kay Lanthier’s legal experience in Vermont, commitment to public service as Public Defender, and clear devotion to Vermont and our justice system has earned her strong bipartisan support from the Senate Judiciary Committee,” said Sanders and Welch in a joint statement following the hearing. “We appreciate her devotion to public service and are grateful for her willingness to continue to serve our state in this new role. We urge our colleagues to confirm Ms. Lanthier when her nomination is brought to the Floor for a vote.”

Mary Kay Lanthier began her legal career as a judicial law clerk for the trial courts in Chittenden County and Addison County. Today, Lanthier serves as the Supervising Attorney at the Rutland County Public Defender’s Office, a position she has held since 2007. Prior to her position at the Rutland County Public Defender’s Office, Lanthier worked in private practice and public defense, working primarily on family law, workers’ compensation, and criminal cases. Lanthier received her undergraduate degree from Amherst College and her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. From 2017-2023, she taught evidence labs at Vermont Law School.