President Obama has nominated Virginia Supreme Court Justice Barbara Milano Keenan for a seat on the 4th Circuit appeals court.

"Justice Keenan has a long and distinguished record of service on the bench," Obama said. "She was the first female judge elected in the state of Virginia and the only woman appointed to the Virginia Court of Appeals upon its creation. Her commitment to fairness and judicial integrity has been unwavering throughout her career, and I am honored to nominate her today to serve on the United States Court of Appeals."

There are five vacancies on the 15-member 4th Circuit, which has a reputation for being the most conservative appellate bench in the country. Obama has nominated one other 4th Circuit candidate, Andre M. Davis. The full Senate has not yet taken up Davis' nomination.

After spending June and July on Sonia Sotomayor's successful nomination to the Supreme Court, the Senate Judiciary Committee will resume processing lower court nominations in earnest this week.

On Wednesday, the committee plans to hold a confirmation hearing for 3rd Circuit nominee Joseph A. Greenaway Jr., of New Jersey; and district court nominees Roberto A. Lange of South Dakota, Irene Cornelia Berger of West Virginia and Charlene Edwards Honeywell of Florida.

The next day, the committee is scheduled to vote on the nominations of Beverly Baldwin Martin of Georgia for the 11th Circuit, and Jeffrey L. Viken to be a South Dakota district judge. The committee held a confirmation hearing for Martin and Viken on July 29, the day after it voted to approve Sotomayor's nomination. Georgia Republicans Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson both testified in favor of Martin's nomination.

Nevertheless, committee Republicans are expected to postpone consideration of the Martin and Viken nominations for a week, as provided for under committee rules.

Virginia's Democratic senators announced today that they are recommending Virginia Supreme Court Justice Barbara M. Keenan for a seat on the 4th Circuit appeals court.

"Senator (Mark) Warner and I jointly recommended Justice Barbara Keenan to serve on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals based on her exceptional qualifications and comprehensive legal experience in the Commonwealth," Sen. Jim Webb said.

Keenan, 59, has served on the Virginia Supreme Court since 1991. Before that, she was a judge on the General District and Circuit Courts of Fairfax County and the Virginia Court of Appeals. She also has worked as an assistant prosecutor in Fairfax, Va., and as an attorney in private practice.