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 July 6th and July 9th. Next week, the Senate will remain in recess.

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 72   ( +  1 ) Andrew Lynn Brasher, Middle District of Alabama, elevation to Eleventh Circuit, June 30, 2020, 1/3 seats vacant Future Vacancies: 4   ( - 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: 22   ( +  1 ) Taylor B. McNeel, of Mississippi, to be a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi ( officially nominated , July 2, 2020) Hearings held and still in Committee: 11   ( ±  0 ) John W. Holcomb, of Californ...

This is the second half of a two-part series detailing the future of Trump's Supreme Court list. Read part 1 here . I previously looked at the underlying background about the need for Trump to expand his Supreme Court list ahead of the 2020 presidential election, and the potential factors his team would make when deciding which judges to add to the list. Here are my predictions for who will make the list (in alphabetical order), and possible reasons why. For a compact format, see the list here . Circuit Judges: Elizabeth Branch (born 1968), 11th Circuit Judge Lisa Branch joined the 11th Circuit in early 2018 and was on the Georgia Court of Appeals for a few years before that. In her time on the court, she has generally voted with the other conservatives on the court. Her recent dissent in a Voting Rights Act case advanced a novel position that might catch the attention of the White House. Andrew Brasher (born 1981), 11th Circuit Judge Andrew Brasher joined t...

This week, the Senate is holding votes on one bill and one nomination, and the Judiciary Committee will convene  an executive business meeting . Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm on the motion to proceed to  S. 4049 , the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. Tuesday: The Senate will continue consideration of the NDAA. Wednesday: The Senate will continue consideration of the NDAA, with votes on amendments likely. Thursday: The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought to serve as Director of the agency. On Thursday, the Judiciary Committee will hold an  executive session  to vote on and/or hold over the following nominations (the number in the parentheses appearing after the nominee's name signifies whether this is the first or second time appearing on the agenda; first-time appearances are typically held over and nom...

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 0  ( - 1  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 71   ( ±  0 ) Future Vacancies: 5   ( ±  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   ( - 1 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 21   ( - 6 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 11   ( +  6 ) David W. Dugan, of Illinois, to be a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois ( hearing held , June 24, 2020) Hala Y. Jarbou, of Michigan, to be a United States District Judge for the Western District of Michigan ( hearing held , June 24, 2020) Iain D. Johnston, of Illino...

This week, the Senate is holding votes on two bills and one nomination, 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 Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge Cory T. Wilson to serve as a Judge of the Fifth Circuit. Walker is opposed by Democrats due to partisan statements he made as a state legislator, his support for certain voter ID requirements, and for his strident criticism of the Affordable Care Act. If confirmed, he would succeed Judge E. Grady Jolly, a Reagan appointee who took senior status in 2017. On top of filling a judicial emergency, Wilson would fill the last opening on both the Fifth Circuit and the entire federal appellate bench. Wilson would also be President Trump's 200th Article III appointment. Tuesday: The Senate will continue consideration of the Wilson nomination. Wednesday: The Senate will vot...

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 1  ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( - 1 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 71   ( ±  0 ) Future Vacancies: 5   ( ±  0 ) Justin R. Walker, Western District of Kentucky, elevation to District of Columbia Circuit, September 1, 2020, 1/5 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: 1   ( - 1 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 27   ( - 2 ) James P. Arguelles, of California, to be a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California ( officially nominated , June 18, 2020) Fred Joseph Federici III, of New Mexico, to be a United States District Judge for the ...