Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday named a New York lawyer as the head of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

Sheila Birnbaum (Skadden)

Sheila Birnbaum, a partner at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP ^[1] in New York, will serve as Special Master of the fund, which provides compensation for individuals killed or injured by the Sept. 11 attacks or debris removal. The fund, which ran from 2001 to 2003, was reactivated through the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act signed into law in January. It is slated to become fully operational on Oct. 1.

Holder praised Birnbaum for her experience with Sept. 11 victims. In 2006, she was appointed to work on a $500 million settlement for almost 100 families of victims of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

“Sheila Birnbaum brings extensive experience, credibility and unique insight to this important role,” Holder said in a statement ^[2]. “She has worked closely with, and won the trust of, the families of 9/11 victims with whom she worked. I know that under her direction, the fund will be administered in a manner that is sensitive and fair to those who have suffered so much from the September 11th attacks.”