(Host) A judicial nominating commission has selected eight people to interview for the job of federal judge in Vermont.
The eight include four women and two sitting Vermont judges.
Peter Van Oot is a lawyer who chairs the federal judicial nominating commission. He says the panel will select three people from the list, and forward the names to Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders.
(Van Oot) "We really looked at a breadth of issues ranging from character to professional competence to integrity, to general fitness for the position of federal district judge."
(Host) Even though the list includes two state judges, Van Oot says they may not have the inside track for the appointment.
(Van Oot) "Whether a candidate was a state court judge or not really has little bearing on that assessment. A lawyer in private practice that has demonstrated those qualities has every bit of chance to be advanced as a sitting state judge."
(Host) The nominating commission plans to interview the eight candidates in June.
The vacancy was created by the retirement of U.S. District Court Judge J. Garvan Murtha. President Obama will make the appointment based on the recommendation from the senior senator in his party.