Senators recommend Keenan for federal appeals court

U.S. Senators Jim Webb and Mark R. Warner have asked President Obama to nominate Virginia Supreme Court Justice Barbara Keenan for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, their offices said today.

If Keenan is confirmed, she would be the first woman from Virginia to serve on the federal appeals court, a news release says.

Keenan, 59, has served on the state Supreme Court since 1991 and had served on the bench of the Virginia Court of Appeals and the Fairfax General District and Circuit courts.

The Fourth Circuit serves Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina, the release says.