New Federal JNC named

From John Pacenti's column:

The Judicial Nominating Commission that recommends candidates for federal judicial openings and other key federal positions in Florida has been overhauled.

Seven new members have been named to the Southern District panel, and former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey remains chair. The commission's makeup was criticized in 2009 by some black and women attorneys for its lack of diversity. U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio have addressed some of those concerns.

Of the six members who left the commission, only one is a woman. And of the seven new members, three are women. At least one of the newcomers is black: Miami-Dade prosecutor Cynthia Johnson-Stacks.

Other new members include Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz, apartnerat Broad and Cassel in Miami; Coral Gables attorney Eduardo Lacasa; plaintiff attorney Ira Leesfield, founder of Leesfield & Partners in Miami; Dexter Lehtinen, partner at Tew Cardenas in Miami; and Jon A. Sale, a partner in Sale & Weintraub in Miami.

The panel also will include lay member Carey Goodman, who is blind and a key player for the Monroe County Republican Party.

Departing members are Coral Gables litigator Gonzalo Dorta; political strategist Jillian Hasner; Luis J. Perez, a partner at Hogan Lovells in Miami; S. Danny Ponce, partner at Holland & Knight in Miami; Fort Lauderdale lawyer Justin Sayfie; and Stephen Zack, president of the American Bar Association and Miami administrative partner with Boies Schiller & Flexner.

They have some work to do -- Judge Gold's seat is still open and applications haven't even been asked for yet...

UPDATE -- Cynthia Johnson-Stacks isn't a prosecutor; she's a county attorney. And S. Danny Ponce is a partner at Legon, Ponce, and Foodman.