The Judicial Nominations Blog

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 72  ( - 2 ) Future Vacancies: 2   ( ±  0 ) 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  ( - 5 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 5  ( - 1 ) J. Philip Calabrese, of Ohio, to be a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio  ( hearing held , July 29, 2020) Aileen Mercedes Cannon, of Florida, to be a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida  ( hearing held , July 29, 2020) Toby Crouse, of Kansa...

This week, the Senate is holding votes on six nominations, including two to the judiciary, 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 confirm the nomination of Ogletree Deakins shareholder William Scott Hardy to be a Judge of the Western District of Pennsylvania, in Pittsburgh. Hardy is opposed by Democrats for his work in employment litigation, and if confirmed, he would fill a vacancy from 2019. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana  David C. Joseph  to serve as a Judge of the Western District of Louisiana, in Alexandria. Joseph is opposed by Senate Democrats for  his statements about election fraud and illegal immigrants . If confirmed, he would fill a vacancy from 2017. The Senate will then vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Dana T. Wade...

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 74   ( ±  0 ) Future Vacancies: 2   ( ±  0 ) 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: 22   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 6  ( - 5 ) David W. Dugan, of Illinois, to be a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois ( held over , July 23, 2020) Hala Y. Jarbou, of Michigan, to be a United States District Judge for the Western District of Michigan ( held over , July 23, 2020) Iain D. Johnston, of I...

This week, the Senate is holding votes on one bill and two nominations, and the Judiciary Committee will convene  an executive business meeting . Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm on confirmation of the nomination of Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought to serve as Director of the agency. Then, the Senate will continue debating  S. 4049 , the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. Tuesday: The Senate will continue consideration of the NDAA, with votes on amendments likely. Wednesday: The Senate will continue consideration of the NDAA, with votes on amendments likely. Thursday: The Senate will continue consideration of the NDAA, with a vote on final passage likely. The Senate will also vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Ogletree Deakins shareholder  William Scott Hardy  to be a Judge of the Western District of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. Hardy is opposed by Democr...

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 74   ( +  2 ) Virginia M. Hernandez Covington, Middle District of Florida, senior status, July 12, 2020, 1/15 seats vacant Federico A. Moreno, Southern District of Florida, senior status, July 17, 2020, 2/18 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 2   ( - 2 ) 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: 22   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 11   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 12   ( ±  0 ) Co...

This week, the Senate is out of session, with senators back in their home-states for the Independence Day recess.  Pro forma  sessions (to prevent recess appointments) will be held on July 13th and July 16th. Next week, the Senate will return to consider one nomination and one bill.

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 72   ( ±  0 ) Future Vacancies: 4   ( ±  0 ) 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: 22   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 11   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 12   ( ±  0 ) Court of Federal Claims: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 2   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending ...

In May, The New York Times  and The Wall Street Journal  published an article and op-ed , respectively, about opposition to the Judicial Conference Code of Conduct Committee proposal to ban judges from being members of the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society, along with similar organizations. Circuit Judges Greg Katsas, Andrew Oldham, William H. Pryor Jr., and Amul Thapar wrote in opposition to the proposal , and 206 other federal judges signed on. A brief analysis of the signatories of the letter follows. All numbers are drawn from the given numbers of judges on the bench on March 18, 2020, the date the letter was sent. First, it bears noting that the incumbent chair of the Code of Conduct Committee is Judge Ralph Erickson of the 8th Circuit. He's one of 8 Trump circuit court appointees to not list membership in the Federalist Society in his Senate paperwork, and (for obvious reasons) one of 5 to not sign the letter. Appointees of every president s...