The Judicial Nominations Blog

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 June 28th and July 1st. Next week, the Senate will remain in recess.

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 7   ( - 1  this week) Future Vacancies: 9   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 71   ( +  1 ) John E. Dowdell, Northern District of Oklahoma, senior status, June 21, 2021, 1/4 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 21   ( - 1 ) Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 1   ( - 1  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee:  3   ( +  1 ) Gustavo A. Gelpí, of Puerto Rico, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit ( hearing held , June 23, 2021) Eunice C. Lee, of New York, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit ( held over , June 24, 2021) Veronica S. Rossman, of Colorado, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit ( held over , June 24, 2021) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 1   ( - 1 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 6   ( - 2 ) Hearings held and still in Comm

This week, the Senate is holding votes on two nominations and one bill, 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 Christopher Fonzone to be General Counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm Fonzone and will vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nomination of Kiran Ahuja to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management. The Senate will also vote to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 2093 , the For the People Act. Wednesday: The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nomination of Magistrate Judge Deborah Boardman to serve as a Judge of the District of Maryland, in Baltimore. If confirmed, she would fill the seat Judge Richard Bennett previously declared he would vacate upon confirmation of his successor. The Senate will also vote to invok

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 8   ( - 1  this week) Future Vacancies: 9   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 70   ( ±  0 ) Ketanji Brown Jackson, District of Columbia, elevation to District of Columbia Circuit, June 17, 2021, 2/15 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 22   ( ±  0 ) Francisco Augusto Besosa, District of Puerto Rico, senior status, January 1, 2022, 2/15 seats vacant Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 2   ( +  1  this week) Myrna Pérez, of New York, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit ( officially nominated , June 15, 2021) Hearings held and still in Committee:  2   ( - 1 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 2   ( ±  0 ) Tiffany P. Cunningham, of Illinois, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit (Cal. No. 193), 16–6 District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 8   ( + 5 ) Jia M. Cobb, of Virgi

This week, the Senate is holding votes on six nominations, and the Judiciary Committee will convene  an executive business  meeting . Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to confirm the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the District Court for the District of Columbia to serve as a Judge of the District of Columbia Circuit. If confirmed, she would fill a vacancy from March 2021. The Senate will also vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Lina Khan to be a Federal Trade Commissioner. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm Khan and will vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nomination of Kiran Ahuja to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management . Wednesday: The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nominations of Radhika Fox to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby of the Court of Federal Claims to serve as a Judge of the District of Maryland, in Baltimore. Grigg

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 9   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 9   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 70   ( - 3 ) Future Vacancies: 22   ( ±  0 ) Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 1   ( - 2  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee:  3   ( +  2 ) Eunice C. Lee, of New York, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit ( hearing held , June 9, 2021) Veronica S. Rossman, of Colorado, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit ( hearing held , June 9, 2021) Tiffany P. Cunningham, of Illinois, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit ( held over , June 10, 2021) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 2   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 3   ( - 3 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 4   ( +  1 ) David G. Estudillo, of Washington, to be a United States District Ju

This week, the Senate is holding votes on four nominations and one bill, and the Judiciary Committee will convene a nominations hearin g  and an executive business  meeting . Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to invoke cloture on the nomination of Bergen County Counsel Julien Neals to be a Judge of the District of New Jersey, in Newark. Neals' nomination is relatively noncontroversial, and if confirmed, he would fill a judicial emergency from 2015. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm Neals, and will vote to invoke cloture on (and confirm) the nomination of WilmerHale partner Regina Rodriguez to be a Judge of the District of Colorado, in Denver. Rodriguez's nomination is relatively noncontroversial, and if confirmed, she would fill a judicial emergency from 2019. The Senate will then continue consideration of  S. 1260 , the Endless Frontier Act, and will vote on a few amendments and final passage of the bill. Wednesday: No votes are scheduled. Thursday

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 9   ( +  2  this week) Evan J. Wallach, Federal Circuit, senior status, May 31, 2021, 1/12 seats vacant Denny Chin, Second Circuit, senior status, June 1, 2021, 2/13 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 9   ( - 2 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 73   ( +  2 ) Anthony John Trenga, Eastern District of Virginia, senior status, June 1, 2021, 2/11 seats vacant Petrese B. Tucker, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, senior status, June 1, 2021, 4/22 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 22   ( ±  0 ) Nancy D. Freudenthal, District of Wyoming, senior status, June 1, 2022, 1/3 seats vacant John A. Gibney, Jr., Eastern District of Virginia, senior status, November 1, 2021, 3/11 seats vacant Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 3   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee:  1   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 2   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Pending be