Five Things to Know About Chief Judge Theodore McKee

Here at FindLaw, we understand the pressures of being a legal professional - most of us are recovering lawyers - so we want to help by tossing you that preferred life preserver of the legal profession, the short list.

Today's offering: Five things to know about Third Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Theodore McKee.

1. Early Years. Judge McKee was born in Rochester in 1947.
2. Education. Judge McKee attended State University of New York at Cortland (BA, 1969) and Syracuse University College of Law (JD, 1975).
3. Practice and Nomination. Theodore McKee started his career in private practice in Philadelphia in 1975. He became an assistant U.S. Attorney in 1977, and taught at Rutgers Law School from 1980-1991. Judge McKee served on Pennsylvania's First Judicial District Court of Common Pleas from 1984 until President Clinton nominated him to the Third Circuit in 1994.
4. Becoming Chief. There's a statutorily-mandated process for choosing the chief judge. The chief judge of the circuit is the circuit judge in regular active service who is senior in commission of those judges who are 64 or younger, has served for one year or more as a circuit judge, and has not served previously as chief judge. If no circuit judge meets those qualifications, the youngest circuit judge in regular active service who is 65 years of age or over, and who has served as circuit judge for one year or more, shall act as the chief judge. The chief serves a seven-year term. Judge McKee became chief judge in 2010, so he can remain in the post until 2017.
5. Personal Touch. Judge McKee's wife, Ana, is an internal medicine specialist and Director Chief Medical Officer for Presbyterian Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. They have two daughters: Emilia and Marisol. Judge McKee enjoys time with his family (including his German Shepherd, "Chipper"), reading, listening to jazz and classical music, woodworking, and continuing his 30 years of training in the martial arts.

Related Resources:

• Third Circuit Reconsiders Hazleton Immigration Law (FindLaw's Third Circuit Blog)
• Hiring Notice: Court Taking Staff Attorney Clerkship Applications (FindLaw's Third Circuit Blog)
• Third Circuit Court of Appeals (US Courts)