New District Court Judge for the District of Vermont Celebrated by Sanders and Welch as Devoted Public Defender

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This evening, the Senate voted to confirm Mary Kay Lanthier, of Orwell, Vermont, to be the next District Court judge for the District of Vermont. President Biden nominated Mary Kay Lanthier at the joint recommendation of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. She was confirmed with the bipartisan support of 55 Senators. 

“Mary Kay Lanthier is devoted to justice, high ethical standards, and strengthening Vermont through the law. We proudly recommended her to President Biden, and were pleased to see bipartisan support for her nomination today. We look forward to Mary Kay Lanthier’s continued service to Vermont in her new role, and we know she will bring the same dedication and professionalism to the federal bench that she has throughout her career in public service—in the courtroom, in the community, and as a public defender. She is highly qualified for this position, and we congratulate her,” said Senators Sanders and Welch.  

Mary Kay Lanthier began her legal career as a judicial law clerk for the trial courts in Chittenden County and Addison County. Lanthier currently 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. 

Sanders and Welch have advocated for the confirmation of Mary Kay Lanthier throughout her nomination process. Lanthier is the 208th Biden-Harris judge to be confirmed by the Senate.  

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