Five Touted for Bench

Three of the five candidates under consideration for a Federal District judgeship in Massachusetts currently teach courses at the Law School, and a fourth is a graduate of Harvard College.

A special nominations committee has submitted the names of Robert E. Keeton, professor of Law, and Massachusetts Superior Court Judges Joseph P. Lynch, David S. Nelson, David A. Mazzone '50 and John J. McNaught to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54 (D-Mass.)

Kennedy will recommend one of the nominees to President Carter.

Lynch and Nelson are instructors at the Law School.

Mazzone, the only candidate who could be contacted yesterday, refused to comment.

Although Keeton has no judicial experience, Richard Donahue, chairman of the nominating committee, said that he has "unique experience in the teaching of courtroom skills."

Albert Sacks, dean of the Law School, said Keeton has broad experience in insurance law and trial advocacy, adding that Keeton "has been very active in developing new and effective methods of teaching trial advocacy" to lawyers and students.

Keeton also co-authored Massachusetts' no-fault insurance law.

Lynch and Nelson teach courses in courtroom practice.