A nominee for a federal judgeship in southern Illinois has cleared one hurdle toward confirmation.  Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois says the Senate Judiciary Committee on which he sits has approved Staci Yandle for a U.S. District Court seat in Benton.  Her nomination now heads to the full Senate for consideration.  Yandle of Carlyle has had her own private practice in O’Fallon since 2007, after having worked at two other law firms for a combined 20 years.  She serves on the Illinois Bar Foundation’s board and has been an adjunct professor at Saint Louis University’s law school.  She’s a University of Illinois graduate, with a law degree from Vanderbilt University.