The Judicial Nominations Blog

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 4   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 5   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 57   ( +  2 ) Victoria A. Roberts, Eastern District of Michigan, senior status, February 24, 2021, 1/15 seats vacant Philip Ray Martinez, Western District of Texas, death, February 26, 2021, 1/13 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 23   ( +  1 ) Virginia A. Phillips, Central District of California, senior status, February 14, 2022, 7/28 seats vacant Amy Totenberg, Northern District of Georgia, senior status, April 4, 2021, 2/11 seats vacant 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: 0   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending o

This week, the Senate is holding votes on some executive branch nominations. Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to invoke cloture on the nomination of former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield to be Ambassador to the United Nations. Tuesday: The Senate will confirm Thomas-Greenfield to be Ambassador to the United Nations and will vote to confirm former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to serve as Secretary of Agriculture again. Wednesday: The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of former Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm to be Secretary of Energy. Thursday: The Senate will confirm Granholm and will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona to be Secretary of Education. 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: 4   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 5   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 55   ( +  1 ) Solomon Oliver, Jr., Northern District of Ohio, senior status, February 15, 2021, 3/11 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 22   ( +  1 ) Paul J. Barbadoro, District of New Hampshire, senior status, March 1, 2021, 1/3 seats vacant Carmen Consuelo Cerezo, District of Puerto Rico, retirement, February 28, 2021, 1/7 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: 0   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( ±  0 ) Court of Federal Claims: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee with

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 16th and February 19th. Next week, the Senate will return to consider two nominations.

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 4   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 5   ( +  2 ) Susan P. Graber, Ninth Circuit, senior status, TBD, 1/29 seats vacant ¹ David S. Tatel, District of Columbia Circuit, senior status, TBD, 2/11 seats vacant ² District Courts: Current Vacancies: 54   ( +  1 ) Vanessa Lynne Bryant³, District of Connecticut, senior status, February 1, 2021, 3/8 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 21   ( +  3 ) C. Darnell Jones II, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, senior status, March 15, 2021, 3/22 seats vacant Julie A. Robinson, District of Kansas, senior status, January 14, 2022, 1/6 seats vacant Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., Northern District of Georgia, senior status, May 8, 2021, 1/11 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: Pendin

This week, the Senate is holding votes on some executive branch nominations, and will begin former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial. Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to confirm former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Tuesday: The Senate will confirm additional Cabinet nominees. Wednesday: The Senate will confirm additional Cabinet nominees. Thursday: The Senate will confirm additional Cabinet nominees. 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: 4   ( +  1  this week) Carlos F. Lucero, Tenth Circuit, senior status, February 1, 2021, 1/12 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 3   ( +  1 ) Denny Chin, Second Circuit, senior status, June 1, 2021, 2/13 seats vacant Mary Beck Briscoe, Tenth Circuit, senior status, March 15, 2021, 2/12 seats vacant District Courts: Current Vacancies: 53   ( +  6 ) Janet C. Hall¹, District of Connecticut, senior status, January 21, 2021, 2/8 seats vacant James S. Gwin, Northern District of Ohio, senior status, January 31, 2021, 3/11 seats vacant Dan A. Polster, Northern District of Ohio, senior status, January 31, 2021, 3/11 seats vacant Phyllis J. Hamilton, Northern District of California, senior status, February 1, 2021, 3/14 seats vacant Roslynn R. Mauskopf, Eastern District of New York, appointment as Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, February 1, 2021, 4/15 seats vacant Jeffrey Steven White, Northern District of California, senior

This week, the Senate is holding votes on some executive branch nominations and a budget resolution. Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to confirm former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to be Secretary of Homeland Security.  The Senate will return on Tuesday due to the weekend Nor'easter that made travel to Washington, D.C. difficult. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana Pete Buttigieg to be Secretary of Transportation and former Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to be Secretary of Homeland Security. The Senate will also vote on the motion to proceed to S. Con. Res. 5 , which is intended to start the budget reconciliation process for another COVID-related stimulus bill. Wednesday: No votes are scheduled. Thursday: The Senate will vote on amendments to  S. Con. Res. 5  and on its passage. Notes: ¹The floor schedule is an approximate guide to when votes may occur. It may not ne