Judge Nancy Waples
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott announced on Feb. 25 his appointment of Superior Court Judge Nancy Waples to the Vermont Supreme Court.
“Character, competence, commitment, and chemistry are the qualities I seek when deciding on an appointment,” Scott wrote in a statement. “There is no doubt Judge Waples possesses these attributes and will excel on the Court.”
Waples’ parents fled the communist revolution in China and because of ethnic quotas, only her father could immigrate to the United States at first, and the family was separated for four years. Later, the family earned a living working in their small Chinese restaurant outside of New York City.
“My parents traveled halfway around the world with literally nothing more than the clothes on their backs to live in a place that didn’t speak their language, where they didn’t have any friends or family,” Waples said in a statement.
“They came here seeking greater opportunities and longed for a life of dignity and decency. They share my pride in receiving this historic appointment.”
After graduating from the St. John’s University School of Law, Waples worked as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York City. In Vermont, she has served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the federal prosecutor’s office and worked in private firms before being appointed a superior court judge.