District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands

Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona has appointed Heather L. Kennedy to serve as Clerk of Court at the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Ms. Kennedy takes office on April 15, 2013. She was selected from a field of highly qualified professionals from throughout the United States, who were vetted by a three-member merit selection panel. She succeeds Galo L. Perez, who retired in November, 2012 after serving twenty-one years at the District Court.

Ms. Kennedy has more than 17 years of legal experience. Prior to joining the federal court, Ms. Kennedy served as Executive Director of the Law Revision Commission and General Counsel to the NMI Judiciary, as well as the High School Mock Trial Coordinator for the CNMI Bar Association. From 1999 to 2007, she worked as legal counsel and Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for the CNMI Public School System.

Before moving to Saipan, she worked as a litigation associate for a corporate law firm in St. Louis, Missouri, and as an Assistant Public Defender in Charlotte, North Carolina. Born in New York and raised in Connecticut, she graduated with honors in Economics and English from Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, and earned her J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

"I look forward to Ms. Kennedy's leadership at the Clerk of Court's Office. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in judicial administration, making her a great addition to our court," said Chief Judge Manglona.

For her part, Ms. Kennedy stated, "I am honored to have been selected for the position. I look forward to working with the staff in the Office of the Clerk of Court and am eager to make a positive contribution to the District Court."