The Judicial Nominations Blog

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 1  ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 70   ( - 1 ) Future Vacancies: 8   ( - 1 ) Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 18   ( +  1 ) John Peter Cronan, of New York, to be a United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York ( officially nominated , February 27, 2020) Hearings held and still in Committee: 11   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 4   ( - 2 ) Court of Federal Claims: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committe...

This week, the Senate is holding votes on four nominations, including three to the judiciary . Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to invoke cloture on the nomination of Judge Robert Molloy of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands to be a Judge of the District Court of the Virgin Islands. Molloy's nomination is uncontroversial, and if confirmed, he would fill a seat for a 10-year term (he would be Trump's first appointment to an Article IV territorial court, whose judges don't have life tenure). Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm Molloy, and then will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Magistrate Judge  Silvia Carreño-Coll  to be a Judge of the District of Puerto Rico. Then, the Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the motions to proceed to S. 3275 and S. 311 , two bills related to abortion. Following the votes on the two bills, there will be cloture votes on the nominations of Katharine MacGregor to be Deputy Secretary of...

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 1  ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 71   ( ±  0 ) Future Vacancies: 9   ( +  1 ) Carlos Murguia, District of Kansas, resignation, April 1, 2020, 1/6 seats vacant Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 17   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 11   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 6   ( ±  0 ) Court of Federal Claims: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 1   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held ...

This week, the Senate is out of session, with senators back in their home-states for the  Washington's Birthday  work period.  Pro forma  sessions (to prevent recess appointments) will be held on February 17th and February 20th. Next week, the Senate will return to consider two bills and four nominations, including three to the judiciary.

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 1  ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( - 1 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 71   ( - 3 ) Future Vacancies: 8   ( ±  0 ) Federico A. Moreno, Southern District of Florida, senior status, TBD, 2/18 seats vacant Andrew Lynn Brasher, Middle District of Alabama, elevation to Eleventh Circuit, June 30, 2020, 1/3 seats vacant Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( - 1 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 17   ( +  12 ) David W. Dugan, of Illinois, to be a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois ( officially nominated , February 12, 2020) Iain D. Johnst...

This week, the Senate is holding votes on five nominations,  and the Judiciary Committee will convene a nominations hearing and  an executive business  meeting . Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to invoke cloture on the nomination of Judge Andrew Brasher of the Middle District of Alabama to be a Judge of the Eleventh Circuit. Brasher is opposed by Democrats for his work as Solicitor General of Alabama , and since Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) has not returned a blue slip on his nomination, he will likely be confirmed along party lines, or close to them. If confirmed, Brasher would succeed Chief Judge Ed Carnes, who has previously indicated that he will not take senior status before June 30, 2020, so Brasher will have to wait a few months for his new job to open up. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm Brasher, and then will vote to invoke cloture on the nominations of Department of the Interior regional solicitor Joshua Kindred to be...

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 1  ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 1   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 74  ( +  1 ) Lawrence J. O'Neill, Eastern District of California, senior status, February 2, 2020, 2/6 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 8   ( - 1 ) Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 1   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 5   ( +  5 ) John Leonard Badalamenti, of Florida, to be a United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida ( officially nominated , February 4, 2020) Thomas T. Cullen, of Virginia, to be a United States District Judge for the Western District of Vi...

This week, the Senate is continuing the impeachment trial of President Trump. Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will resume President Trump's impeachment trial. Tuesday: The Senate will hold a regular session, with no business on the agenda as of now. President Trump will address a joint session of Congress for the State of the Union address. Wednesday: The impeachment trial will likely conclude. Thursday: No votes have been scheduled. Notes: ¹The floor schedule is an approximate guide to when votes may occur. It may not necessarily be completely accurate due to things changing in the Senate during the week.