The Judicial Nominations Blog

This week, the Senate is holding votes on one bill. Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will hold a pro forma session to prevent President Trump from making any recess appointments. Tuesday: The Senate will convene and will vote to override the president's veto of the NDAA after the House of Representatives votes sometime this week. Wednesday: The agenda has not yet been determined. Thursday: The agenda has not yet been determined. 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.

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 2   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 44   ( - 1 ) Future Vacancies: 6   ( ±  0 ) Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee:  1   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 20   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 3   ( - 1 ) 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 on Executive Calendar: 1   ( - 1 ) Tax Court: Pending before Senate Finance Committee without hearing: 1   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out o

This week, the Senate is holding votes on one nomination and one bill. Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote to confirm Eric Soskin to be the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation. It will also vote to pass the omnibus appropriations and COVID relief bill. It's possible a few judicial nominations will be confirmed as part of the wrap-up for the session. Tuesday: The Senate is in recess. Wednesday: The Senate is in recess. Thursday: The Senate will hold a pro forma session. 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.

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 2   ( - 1  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 45   ( - 3 ) Future Vacancies: 6   ( ±  0 ) Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( - 1  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee:  1   ( +  1 ) Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach, of Puerto Rico, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit ( hearing held , December 16, 2020) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( - 1 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 20   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 4   ( - 3 ) Court of Federal Claims: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 2   ( ±  0 ) Terrence M. Andrews, of California, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims ( officially nominated , December 17, 20

This week, the Senate is holding votes on two nominations to the judiciary and two bills, and the Judiciary Committee will convene a nominations hearing . Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to invoke cloture on the nomination of United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana Thomas Kirsch to serve as a Judge of the Seventh Circuit. Democrats oppose Kirsch and all of the other judicial nominees likely to be considered this week due to them being brought up for floor votes during the lame duck period of the Trump administration. If confirmed, he would fill the seat Justice Amy Coney Barrett vacated in October 2020. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm Kirsch, and will then vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nomination of Department of Justice Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy Katherine A. Crytzer to be a Judge of the Eastern District of Tennessee, in Knoxville. In addition to the timing of her nominat

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 3   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 48   ( ±  0 ) Future Vacancies: 6   ( ±  0 ) Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 1   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee:  0   ( - 1 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 1   ( +  1 ) Thomas L. Kirsch II, of Indiana, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit (Cal. No. 931),  12–10 District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 20   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( - 3 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 7   ( +  3 ) Charles Edward Atchley, Jr., of Tennessee, to be a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee (Cal. No. 934),  13–9 Katherine A. Crytzer, of Tennessee, to be a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennes

This week, the Senate is holding votes on five nominations, including one to the judiciary, and the Judiciary Committee will convene  an executive business meeting. Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to invoke cloture on the nomination of Schaerr Jaffe partner Stephen S. Schwartz to be a Judge of the Court of Federal Claims. Democrats oppose Schwartz for his work on voter ID litigation , among other cases. If confirmed, he would fill a vacancy from 2018. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm Schwartz, and will then vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nomination of Nathan Simington to the Federal Communications Commission. Wednesday: The Senate will vote to confirm the nominations of Allen Dickerson, Shana Broussard, and Sean Cooksey to be Members of the Federal Election Commission. Thursday: The Senate will consider the conference report for H.R. 6395 , the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, and H.R. 8900 , a one-week continuing res

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 3   ( +  1  this week) Joel M. Flaum, Seventh Circuit, senior status, November 30, 2020, 2/11 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 0   ( - 1 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 48   ( - 2 ) Future Vacancies: 6   ( +  3 ) Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach, District of Puerto Rico, elevation to First Circuit, TBD, 1/7 seats vacant Paul Kinloch Holmes III, Western District of Arkansas, senior status, November 10, 2021, 1/3 seats vacant Frances Marie Tydingco-Gatewood, District Court of Guam, term expiring, TBD, 1/1 seats vacant Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach, of Puerto Rico, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit ( officially nominated , November 30, 2020) Hearings held and still in Committee:  1   ( ±  0 ) Thomas L. Kirsch II, of Indiana, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit ( held over , December 3,