Pepper becomes first female Eastern District judge

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The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Pamela Pepper to be a new Eastern District of Wisconsin judge.

Pepper, who has served as a bankruptcy judge in the Eastern District since 2005, was approved 95-0. She will replace Judge Charles Clevert, who took senior status in October 2012.

She is the first woman to serve as a judge in the Eastern District.

Pepper was one of three finalists sent to President Barack Obama by U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson.

Prior to her stint as a bankruptcy judge, Pepper worked as a federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. She graduated from Cornell Law School in 1989.

Federal judge nominations in Wisconsin normally are vetted and chosen by the nominating commission, which is run by the Wisconsin State Bar. Three or four names are given to the senators, and they make a recommendation to the president. If the president approves the nomination, it goes to the full Senate for approval.