Two women — one a career litigator and the other for whom judging is practically in her DNA — have been nominated for the D.C. Court of Appeals. President Bush has sent the names of Phyllis D. Thompson and Anna Blackburne-Rigsby to the Senate for confirmation. They were picked from a list of six candidates to fill two vacancies on the court. The D.C. Court of Appeals is the court of last review for most Washingtonians. Its decisions set precedent for the local courts and its judges handle more than 1,600 cases per year. The two nominees have been here before. Each was recommended for the court in previous openings, but neither was nominated. Thompson, 53, is a partner at prestigious law firm Covington & Burling, where she concentrates her practice in health care law. She has also been active in the Bar, as a member of the D.C. Bar’s board of governors. Blackburne-Rigsby, 44, is the daughter of a New York judge and the wife of D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert R. Rigsby. She has served on the Superior Court bench since 2000.
