A federal judge in Virginia is President Bush's pick to fill one of several vacancies on the federal appeals court based in Richmond.

The White House announced Thursday that Bush has nominated Glen Conrad to the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is widely viewed as the most conservative federal appellate bench in the country. The court also has handled some of the country's biggest terrorism cases.

Conrad has been a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia since 2003. From 1976 to 2003, he was a federal magistrate judge in the district.

If confirmed by the Senate, Conrad would fill the seat of H. Emory Widener Junior, who died last year.