photo by: Via Senate Judiciary Committee

Richard Federico

A Lawrence-based Navy captain and federal public defender has been selected to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

Capt. Rich Federico was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 11 after a 61-29 vote that included support from Kansas’ two Republican U.S. senators, Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall. Federico was nominated by President Joe Biden in July after the retirement of another University of Kansas alumnus, Judge Mary Beck Briscoe.

Federico, who was born in Indiana in 1977, graduated from the KU School of Law in 2002, and it was during his student days that he joined the Navy. He had been in talks with the Navy about the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, the military justice branch popularly known as JAG, while in school when the country was attacked by terrorists in 2001.

“I was in school on 9/11, and that certainly turbocharged my motivation for military service. So I was commissioned in February 2002 and served 13 years on active duty,” Federico said.

Federico has remained in the Navy Reserves since leaving active duty, and he has also worked as a federal public defender in Kansas since 2017.

“I have been serving both in the military and as a public defender in public service for over 20 years. So it’s another opportunity for public service. It’s a tremendous, tremendous honor to now be joining this court,” Federico said.

Federico said he and his family have considered KU and Lawrence to be home base, especially when traveling around the world with the Navy. He hopes that with his new position on the 10th Circuit, which convenes in Denver, he will be able to maintain a local office in Lawrence.

“Our family is going to remain in the community no matter whether I ultimately have chambers in Lawrence or in Topeka,” Federico said.

The jurisdiction of the 10th Circuit includes Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.

Federico said that he has long loved Lawrence and he attributes some of his success to the connections he has made at the law school and in the city.

“The KU community has really just been a tremendous support and booster for us in our lives. I’m very proud to be a Jayhawk and Lawrencian,” he said.

Federico looks forward to the challenges of his new position as he looks back on what brought him to it.

“There’s really no secret sauce to success. It’s hard work, maintaining your integrity, and being polite and professional. And if you do those things and demonstrate you’re a competent lawyer, then you never know what type of opportunities may come your way,” Federico said.