Member Spotlight

Elaine D. Kaplan Confirmed to Serve on Federal Court of Claims

 September 17^th, the United States Senate confirmed President Barack Obama’s nomination of Elaine D. Kaplan, Esquire,  General Counsel and Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management, to serve on the Federal Court of Claims.  According to the Washington Blade, Kaplan “will become the second out gay person to serve on the specialized court, which hears cases brought by citizens against the federal government to recover monetary damages.”  The Washington Blade, 9/17/2013.

Advocate.com reports “As OPM’s director, she helped guide the process of extending marriage-related benefits to gay and lesbian federal employees and their spouses after the U.S. Supreme Court declared section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. Prior to this position, she served as head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, an office she was appointed to by former President Bill Clinton in 1998.

“The Brooklyn native graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 1979, according to her OPM biography. She will assume the seat vacated by Judge Christine Odell Cook Miller, who retired from the court earlier this year.” Advocate.com, 9/17/2013.

Welcome to the Bench!