BREAKING: Radical Cronyism? Sit-In Leader Nominated as Judge by Pres. Obama

(Also read: More Obama Tapes: Michelle Obama a Race Agitating Occupier?)

The leader of the occupation in the video — Robert L. Wilkins of the Harvard Black Law Students Association — was nominated by President Obama on May 20, 2010 to be considered for judge of the U.S. District Court, District of Columbia. He is now a sitting judge in that position.

From the White House press release:

President Obama Names Three to United States District Court

WASHINGTON- Today, President Obama nominated Judge Anthony Joseph Battaglia, Judge Edward J. Davila and Robert L. Wilkins to seats on the United States District Court.

“These distinguished individuals have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to justice throughout their careers,” said President Obama.  “I am grateful for their decision to serve the American people from the District Court bench.”

…

Robert L. Wilkins:  Nominee for United States District Court, District of Columbia
Robert L. Wilkins is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Venable LLP, where he practices primarily in corporate defense/white collar, technology, and commercial litigation.  Previously, Mr. Wilkins was an attorney with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, where he was chief of special litigation from 1996 to 2000, and where he has served as a trustee from 2002 to 2007 and as vice chair from 2007 to 2008.  The Legal Times has named Mr. Wilkins one of the 90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the Last 30 Years.  He was a founding member of the D.C. Access to Justice Commission and he has served on the D.C. Advisory Commission on Sentencing, the D.C. Truth-In-Sentencing Commission, and the D.C. Juvenile Justice Advisory Group.  As president of the National African American Museum & Cultural Complex, he helped to plan and create the National Museum of African American History and Culture within the Smithsonian Institution.  Following law school, Mr. Wilkins clerked for Judge Earl B. Gilliam of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.  Mr. Wilkins is a native of Muncie, Indiana.  He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989 and his B.S. from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 1986.

Not mentioned in the press release: that Wilkins once led an illegal occupation of a law school building to demand the school hire based on skin color, a protest primarily focused on supporting the actions of radical bigot Derrick Bell.