From 1997 to 1999, she served as a
law clerk for Judge
Robert H. Whaley of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. From 1999 to 2000, she was a Skadden
Fellow at TeamChild, an organization that provides legal services to youths in
Yakima, Washington. From 2000 to 2016, she was a
public defender with the Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho. She had a formal investiture ceremony on February 19, 2016. She served in that capacity until 2024, when she became a federal judge.
Federal judicial service On March 20, 2024, President
Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Pennell to serve as a
United States district judge of the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. On April 17, 2024, a hearing on her nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee. On May 9, 2024, her nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10
party-line vote. On November 19, 2024, the
United States Senate invoked
cloture on her nomination by a 50–42 vote. The following day, her nomination was confirmed by a 50–48 vote, with Senator
Joe Manchin voting against confirmation. She received her judicial commission on December 9, 2024, was sworn in on the same day. == Personal life ==