In the News

05/17/12 – President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the US District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Matthew W. Brann and Judge Malachy Edward Mannion to serve on the United States District Court. “I am pleased to nominate these distinguished individuals to serve on the United States District Court bench,” said President Obama. “I am confident they will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.” read full story

05/17/12 – George Allen: Sexual orientation shouldn’t factor in qualifying judges
Former Sen. George Allen, who is running to regain the U.S. Senate seat he lost to Sen. Jim Webb four years ago, said he would make decisions about judges based on judicial qualifications. “My criteria is that I want to know their knowledge, their capabilities, their judicial temperament if they’re a trial judge in particular. I want to know, most importantly, that they understand that their role is to interpret the law and apply the Constitution faithfully and not invent the law or skew decisions to their own political views,” Allen said. read full story

05/17/12 – Josh Brodesky: Kyl stonewalls judge-in-waiting
Talk about obstruction of justice. It's been more than 300 days since Rosemary Márquez, a local defense attorney, was nominated to be a federal judge and still there is nothing. No hearings. No debate. Nothing but crickets. What she doesn't have is the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, and that's what really matters. read full story

05/16/12 – Obama nominates Frank Paul Geraci for federal bench in New York
President Barack Obama has nominated a New York state judge to fill a vacancy in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Acting State Supreme Court Justice Frank Paul Geraci has served as a Monroe County Court judge since 1999, and was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2000. He also served on the Rochester City Court from 1992 to 1998. The White House announced the nomination on Monday. read full story

05/16/12 – Frank Geraci Jr. receives favorable ABA rating
A substantial majority of the American Bar Association’s rating committee considers Monroe County Court Judge Frank Geraci Jr. “well qualified” to serve as a federal judge. “That’s very positive for him,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond who closely follows federal judicial nominations. “That’s the strongest rating you can get.” The ABA rating committee’s minority opinion rated Geraci “qualified.” read full story

05/15/12 – Obama Nominates Magistrate Olguin for District Judgeship
President Obama yesterday nominated U.S. Magistrate Judge Fernando M. Olguin to serve as judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, like Obama a Democrat, recommended Olguin and hailed his nomination in a statement. He is a former partner in a Rochester law firm and was both a state and federal prosecutor. His undergraduate and law degrees are both from the University of Dayton. read full story

05/15/12 – Washington plays blame game over whether Obama or GOP responsible for court vacancies
Dozens of seats on the federal bench remain empty, and Washington can't agree on who's at fault. "The blame lies with the Republican Party," Nan Aron, president of the Alliance for Justice, puts it simply. She's convinced that GOP senators are stone-walling qualified nominees in hopes that a Republican will re-take the White House and be the one to fill the seats. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, says the numbers tell a different story. read full story

05/15/12 – Judge Fernando M. Olguin for Nominated for U.S. District Court
Judge Fernando M. Olguin has served as a Federal Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California since 2001. Growing up in Azuza, Calif., Judge Olguin was the first in his family to attend and graduate from college. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree and law degree from the University of California at Berkeley. read full story

05/15/12 – Two Judges Nominated to District Court Bench
As the Senate confirmed two nominees to fill judicial vacancies Monday, President Barack Obama nominated two additional judges to the district court bench in New York and California. Frank Paul Geraci, Jr., was nominated to serve as judge in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York and Fernando M. Olguin was tapped for the bench in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. read full story

05/15/12 – Senate Confirms Two New Judges, as Obama Makes Two Judicial Nominations
The Senate confirmed two new district court judges Monday afternoon, about the same time President Barack Obama announced two new nominees for district court benches in New York and California. The Senate confirmed John Tharp Jr. to be district judge for the Northern District of Illinois by a vote of 86-1, and confirmed George Russell III to be district judge for the District of Maryland by a voice vote. read full story

05/14/12 – Roll Call Vote on confirmation of the Tharp nomination
The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of the nomination of John J. Tharp, of IL, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; Confirmed: 86-1. read full story

05/14/12 – U.S. Senate confirms Russell for District Court seat
The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge George L. Russell III to a seat on the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. Russell will succeed Judge Peter J. Messitte, who took senior status three years ago. President Barack Obama nominated Russell for the district court in November after withdrawing his first choice to succeed Messitte amid continuing Republican opposition, according to Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. read full story

05/14/12 – Senate confirms Oak Park lawyer as new Chicago-based federal judge
The U.S. Senate today voted 86-1 to confirm Chicago lawyer and former federal prosecutor John J. “Jay” Tharp Jr. to a vacant judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Tharp, 51, becomes the fifth federal trial court judge that President Barack Obama has gotten confirmed to the Chicago-based federal court since taking office. Obama nominated Tharp in November to replace Judge Blanche M. Manning, who had taken senior status, which is a form of semi-retirement, in early 2010. read full story

05/14/12 – City judge Russell confirmed for U.S. bench
The U.S. Senate confirmed Baltimore Circuit Judge George L. Russell III for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on Monday. Russell, who has presided over 2,700 cases since 2007, will fill a vacancy created by the 2008 retirement of Judge Peter Messitte. The Senate confirmed Russell in a unanimous voice vote. The University of Maryland graduate and Baltimore resident was nominated by President Barack Obama for the federal bench in November. read full story

05/14/12 – Monroe County Court Judge Frank Geraci Jr. nominated for federal judgeship
Monroe County Court Judge Frank Geraci Jr. is being nominated to serve as a federal district judge for a Rochester-based court in the Western District of New York, the White House announced Monday. Geraci’s nomination was announced in conjunction with the district court nomination of a U.S. magistrate judge in California. read full story

05/14/12 – Judicial restraint
President Barack Obama stands to become the first president in at least 30 years to have more openings on the federal bench at the end of his first term than when he started. "I think the president hasn't made judicial nominations a real priority of his agenda," said Dan Urman, the director of Northeastern University's Law & Policy Doctorate Program, who teaches a class on the nomination process. "If the president had nominated more, and this rate holds up, then he'd have had more people confirmed." read full story

05/14/12 – Senate confirms district nominees for Maryland, Illinois
The Senate on Monday approved two district court nominees. In a voice vote George Russell was confirmed by the Senate for U.S. District Court judge. John Tharp, for the Northern District of Illinois, was confirmed 86 to 1. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) was the one dissenting vote. read full story

05/14/12 – President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the US District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Frank Paul Geraci, Jr. and Judge Fernando M. Olguin to serve on the United States District Court. “I am honored to put forward these highly qualified candidates for the federal bench,” President Obama said. “They will be distinguished public servants and valuable additions to the United States District Court.” read full story

05/10/12 – Jill Pryor blocked from 11th Circuit
Georgia's Republican senators are blocking confirmation of President Barack Obama's Georgia-based appeals court nominee, Jill Pryor, according to reports from Washington meetings earlier this week. Obama in February nominated the Atlanta litigator to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. According to two Georgia lawyers who attended Monday meetings with White House officials and staffers for Senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss, the two senators are stopping her nomination from proceeding. read full story

05/14/12 – Davis goes before Judiciary Committee
Local Judge Brian Davis is one step closer to becoming a U.S. district judge in Florida’s Middle District after going before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Davis, 59, was nominated for the post by President Barack Obama in late February. read full story

05/09/12 – Dem. Lobbyist Battles Gridlock In Confirmations
Many judicial nominations remain stalled in the Senate, and it will take more than rhetoric to break the logjam. Conservative groups have traditionally lavished big money on judicial contests. But now Democratic lobbyist Robert Raben is pushing back. He has created a PAC to donate to senators who advance progressive nominees. It has only raised a pittance so far, but the idea is to bundle donations from lawyers all over the country and counteract some of that conservative money. read full story

05/09/12 – Federal magistrate judge from Oklahoma City wows U.S. Senate committee with knowledge of Constitution
Asked by Sen. Tom Coburn about the powers of Congress, Bacharach rattled off all the sections of the Constitution that specifically mention that legislative authority. He then went on to give a brief history of the 10th Amendment and its purpose to reserve power for the states that wasn't specifically given to Congress. “I want to tell the committee I did not prep the witness,” Coburn, R-Muskogee, joked later. read full story

05/09/12 – Federal judge in Atlanta to take senior status, leaving another opening on bench in Georgia
Judge Charles Pannell Jr. of the Northern District of Georgia will take senior status after he turns 67 on Jan. 24. That means he will be eligible for a reduced caseload and that his slot will be opened for a new federal appointment. The district already has two other judicial vacancies. read full story

05/09/12 – New judge vacancy could further strain Atlanta courts
A partisan standoff on judicial nominees has left Atlanta-based federal courts shorthanded, with even more strain to come as U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. said Tuesday that he will take senior status with a reduced caseload in January. Currently there are two longstanding vacancies on the U.S. District Court, including one slot that has been vacant since February 2009, and another on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. With Pannell, the district now has nine active judges. The White House and Georgia's two Republican U.S. senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, have been unable to agree on the court nominations. read full story

05/08/12 – Arizona Lawyers Among Those Who Advocate on Judicial Vacancies
Yesterday, approximately 150 lawyers and other legal leaders traveled to Washington DC to speak on the need to fill judicial vacancies. Some Arizona lawyers participated in the event on Capitol Hill and at the White House. read full story

05/08/12 – U.S. Judge Charles Pannell to take senior status
U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. of the Northern District of Georgia says he has notified the White House that he will take senior status after he turns 67 next January. Pannell said he notified the White House, the U.S. Administrative Office of Courts and Northern District Chief Judge Julie Carnes in March of his intent to take senior status after his Jan. 24 birthday. Pannell said that by then he will have served 13 years as a federal judge. At that time, Pannell’s age and years of service on the federal bench will total 80 — qualifying him for senior status, making him eligible for a reduced case load and opening up his slot for a new federal appointment. read full story

05/08/12 – Jacqueline Nguyen confirmed for 9th Circuit court
The Senate on Monday confirmed President Obama's nomination of Judge Jacqueline Nguyen to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, where she will become the first Vietnamese American and first Asian-Pacific woman to serve on a federal appeals court. The vote was 91-3. read full story

05/07/12 – US Senate confirms Jacqueline Nguyen to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
This afternoon, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Jacqueline Nguyen to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Jacqueline Nguyen came to America with her family after the fall of Saigon. They lived for a time in a tent city at Camp Pendleton. Nguyen worked with her parents cleaning a dental office and helping out in their North Hollywood donut shop. During a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Nguyen said her life experience informed her judicial temperament, telling the committee the experience gave her "an appropriate sense of humility" when she reviews the facts of each case. read full story

05/07/12 – Federal judge candidate confirmed
In a voice vote late Monday, theU.S. Senateconfirmed Chicago lawyer John Z. Lee for a vacant judicial seat on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. In November, President Barack Obama had nominated Lee, 44, to replace Judge David H. Coar, who took a reduced caseload in August 2009 and retired altogether at the end of 2010. An Inverness resident, Lee is a partner at the law firm Freeborn & Peters. He also is the first Korean-American to serve as a federal district judge in Illinois, and he is only the second Korean-American to serve as a federal judge in U.S. history. read full story

05/07/12 – Judicial Nominee Gridlock Concerns Maine Civil Rights Advocates
"The courts are being used as pawns, almost," says Dmitry Bam, an associate law professor at the University of Maine School of Law. He says the situation has become progressively worse with each presidency, and part of it, says Bam, has to do with general gridlock in Washington. read full story

05/07/12 – Senate confirms Baker as federal judge
The U.S. Senate today confirmed Little Rock attorney Kris Baker as a federal judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The Senate, on a voice vote, approved her confirmation to replace retired judge James M. Moody on the federal bench. President Barack Obama nominated Baker in November to serve on the federal bench. She is a partner in the Quattlebaum law firm and began her legal career in 1996 as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright in the Eastern District. read full story

05/07/12 – Jacqueline H. Nguyen of L.A. confirmed to U.S. 9th Circuit Court
The Senate confirmed Jacqueline H. Nguyen of Los Angeles to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday, making her the first Asian American woman to sit on a federal appellate court. By a 91-3 vote, the Senate agreed to Nguyen's nomination as part of an earlier deal to begin acting on President Obama's nominees. Republicans had been holding up some of the president's choices as part of a protest over White House appointments. read full story

05/07/12 – Nguyen confirmed to 9th Circuit Court, finally
The logjam on federal judges for California broke loose even more today with the confirmation of Jacqueline Nguyen to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Bee editorial board called in March for an up-or-down vote for Nguyen, and also for Michael Fitzgerald for the Central District of California. Both were unanimously recommended by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but their nominations had been held up by GOP political gamesmanship. Fitzgerald was confirmed later in March. Both courts were in official judicial emergencies because there backlogs of cases were so bad. read full story

05/07/12 – Senate confirms last three of 14 judicial nominees
The Senate confirmed three of President Obama's judicial nominees, completing a deal made the chamber's leadership to confirm 14 nominees in two months. Kristine Baker was confirmed for the Eastern District of Arkansas by voice vote, John Z. Lee was confirmed for the Northern District in Illinois by voice vote, and Jacqueline Nguyen was confirmed 91 to 3 for the 9th Circuit Court in California. read full story

– Statement of Sen. Leahy on Nominations of Jacqueline Nguyen, Kristine Baker, and John Lee
Statement of Sen. Leahy on Nominations of Jacqueline Nguyen, Kristine Baker, and John Lee read full story

05/07/12 – Groups want Obama’s nominees pushed through
Twenty-nine organizations are urging the approval of 14 of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees. "It's troubling to realize that, more than four months into 2012, the Senate has voted only on nominees who were pending on the Senate floor last year and eligible for a confirmation vote in 2011," the statement says. read full story

05/07/12 – Kris Baker of Little Rock set for judgeship confirmation
It took some doing, but the Senate today apparently will finally confirm Kris Baker of Little Rock for a vacancy for a federal judgeship for the Eastern District of Arkansas. She's a lawyer with the Quattlebaum firm and had bipartisan support, but her confirmation had been hung up with dozens of others by a Republican blockade. read full story

05/07/12 – Hoosier To Address Vacancy Crisis in Federal Courts
Indiana's Director for The Center for Inquiry is in Washington, D.C. Monday to meet with White House officials. Reba Boyd Wooden is there with the coalition called Alliance for Justice. She says there's 79 current vacancies on the federal bench and 17 additional vacancies will occur this year. 37 of them are considered emergencies. Wooden says many court cases have been on hold because of the vacancies. read full story

05/07/12 – Senate set to confirm three more judges
The Senate is expected Monday to confirm the last three — one appellate and two district court seats — of 17 judges under a deal cut by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican leader Mitch McConnell back in March. The three nominees to receive votes Monday were confirmed unanimously last fall or early this year by the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

05/06/12 – Schumer Confident in Judge Geraci Nomination
United States Senator Chuck Schumer is confident his nomination for a federal court position will go through this summer. In February, Schumer announced that he would nominate Frank Geraci Jr. to serve as a Judge on the United States District Court for Western New York. read full story

05/06/12 – Vacant court benches draw strategy session
An aggressive White House drive to move stalled judicial nominees through the Senate is galvanizing activists on the left for an election-year fight to fill the bench with President Obama’s picks while Republicans are vowing to block what they view as Democratic overreach. The president has invited 150 supporters from across the country concerned about the judicial vacancy rate to the White House on Monday for a strategy session with administration officials, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by The Washington Times. read full story

05/06/12 – DC Notes: Senate hearing set for Oklahoma judicial nominees
Three Oklahomans, including a former U.S. attorney and a former tribal chief, are heading to Washington this week to meet with White House officials and U.S. senators about filling federal judgeships in Oklahoma and around the state. read full story

05/05/12 – Oklahomans join group concerned about slow judicial approvals
Three Oklahomans will be among about 150 people expected in Washington, D.C., on Monday to air concerns about vacancies in the federal judiciary. "It's (President Obama's) fourth year in office, and he has a larger percentage of vacancies than any previous president," said Dan Webber, a former U.S. attorney for Oklahoma's Western District. About 10 percent of federal judgeships are vacant. read full story

05/04/12 – Maine group urges vote on federal judicial nominees
Four activists from Maine are traveling to Washington on Monday to urge the Senate to act on pending federal judicial nominees. The group from Maine is made up of Eliza Townsend, executive director of the Maine Women's Lobby; Benjamin Gideon, a partner in the law firm of Berman & Simmons; George Royle V, a shareholder in the Drummond Woodsum law firm; and Kim Moody, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Maine. read full story

05/04/12 – Professor Tobias Wolff to Meet with White House about America’s Judicial Vacancy Crisis
University of Pennsylvania Law Professor Tobias Wolff and six other Pennsylvania legal and grassroots leaders will travel to Washington on Monday, May 7, to meet with White House officials about the vacancy crisis in America’s federal courts, including six vacancies and two “emergency” vacancies in Pennsylvania. read full story

05/04/12 – Atlanta lawyers among Obama invitees to combat judicial vacancies
A posse of Atlanta lawyers plus a minister are heading to Washington on Monday at the invitation of President Obama to address the high judicial vacancy rate in federal courts. The five Atlantans are among 150 supporters from 27 states whom the president has called to Washington for a strategy session with administration officials on pushing more of Obama’s nominees through the Republican logjam in the Senate. read full story

05/04/12 – A first in Maine: Woman sworn in as federal district judge
Nancy Torresen was sworn in Thursday as Maine's 17th U.S. District Court judge and the first woman to hold the position in the state. Torresen said she didn't arrive at that point on her own. She thanked her family, including her mother, Frances Torresen, and her mother-in-law, Eleanor McCloskey, for all the times they made meals and picked up her children. She acknowledged the suffragists who won the vote for women, those who fought in the 1960s to make gender discrimination illegal in the workplace, and the women in the early 1970s who were the first to enter law schools and the legal profession in significant numbers. She said some of her role models at Thursday's ceremony were firsts in their fields. read full story

05/04/12 – First female U.S. District judge: ‘I salute the women who came before me’
Nancy Torresen didn’t become the first female U.S. District judge in Maine on her own. “I didn’t get here by myself,” she said at her formal investiture ceremony Thursday afternoon at the Edward T. Gignoux U.S. Courthouse. “All the women in this room owe a debt to the women, the suffragists, who fought for the right to vote.” read full story

05/04/12 – Texans to join in lobbying for up-or-down votes on judicial nominations
Chris Elliott, a shareholder in Austin’s Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, will be among four Texas lawyers and 150 others from 27 states descending on the nation’s capital on May 7 to participate in what organizers are calling “a day of discussions,” about unfilled judicial vacancies, according to a statement the group released May 3. The lawyers have scheduled stops at the White House and the Senate. From Texas, the group includes: Matt Glazer, executive director of the non-profit Progress Texas; Celeste Villarreal, associate judge for the City of Austin; and Jeanne Cezanne “Cezy” Collins, president of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations and partner in El Paso’s Kemp Smith. read full story

05/04/12 – Vacancies on federal bench will be topic of White House meetings Monday
Reba Boyd Wooden, executive director of the Center for Inquiry-Indiana, will travel to Washington Monday to meet with White House officials about the vacancy crisis in America’s federal courts. Wooden plans to join 150 advocates from 27 states in a day of discussions with White House staff. A deal between Senate republicans and democrats to allow judicial nominations to proceed in the Senate expires Monday, and the advocates are urging the Senate to hold final up-or-down votes on all pending nominees. read full story

05/04/12 – Floridians to Meet With White House Monday on Judicial Vacancy Crisis
Five Florida community leaders, advocates and legal experts are set to travel to Washington, D.C., Monday for a meeting with Obama White House officials on the vacancy crisis in America’s federal courts. Florida’s District Courts are reeling from four judicial emergencies, while nominees for these seats, Brian Davis, Mark Walker, and Robin Rosenbaum, wait in the wings to be confirmed. Despite the delays, the overwhelming majority of President Obama’s nominees have received strong bipartisan support, such as Adalberto Jordan, who was confirmed by a 94-5 vote in February to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit after months of partisan wrangling. read full story

05/03/12 – Obama nominates Fil-Am to federal bench
Asian American community leaders expressed elation Wednesday when President Barack Obama nominated Attorney Lorna Schofield to serve as a federal district court judge for the Southern District of New York. If confirmed by the US Senate, she would be the first Filipino American to serve as an Article III federal judge. read full story

05/02/12 – Treasure Coast attorneys don’t make final cut for judicial post in Fort Pierce
Neither of the two Treasure Coast attorneys interviewed Friday by the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission received the panel's recommendation as finalists for the federal bench in Fort Pierce. Former Circuit Judge Cynthia G. Angelos, now managing partner of the Port St. Lucie office of Weiss Handler Angelos & Cornwell, and Theodore M. Cooperstein, an assistant U.S. attorney in Fort Pierce for the past five years, were among the dozen candidates interviewed Friday in their quest to become the first federal judge based full time in Fort Pierce. read full story

05/02/12 – Obama to hold strategy session on judges Monday
President Obama is launching an aggressive new push to move more stalled judicial nominees through the Senate. The president has invited 150 supporters from across the country concerned about the judicial vacancy rate to the White House on Monday for a forum and strategy session with administration officials, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by the Washington Times. read full story

05/01/12 – Sen. Tom Coburn clears the way for hearings for two Oklahoma judicial nominees
U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn on Monday cleared the way for two Oklahomans nominated for federal judgeships to have hearings in the Senate. Coburn's move means the Senate Judiciary Committee could hold hearings soon on the nominations of federal judge magistrate Robert E. Bacharach and Tulsa attorney John Dowdell. The position has been vacant for two years as the White House and Oklahoma's two senators have struggled to find a candidate on which they could agree. read full story

05/01/12 – Bay Area to get new chief federal judge
The Bay Area will soon have a new chief federal judge. U.S. District Judge James Ware, who has spent most of his career on the federal bench in San Jose, announced late Monday that he is retiring in August, opening up both a federal judgeship and the chief judge's post. Oakland-based U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, next in line by seniority, will take over as chief judge, making her just the second woman to hold the top job in Northern California's federal courts. read full story

04/30/12 – Obama: Supreme Court at stake in 2012 election
President Obama rallied supporters last night by noting that he would likely get to appoint more Supreme Court justices in his second-term, which could have very long-term significance. "There are going to be some Supreme Court appointments probably if you look actuarially for the next president," Obama said at a fundraiser with former President Clinton. "There's so much at stake here." He used the court appointments as a way to drive home the historic significance of the 2012 presidential election: "this one matters," he repeated. read full story

04/30/12 – Vote Set on Nguyen’s Nomination to Ninth Circuit
A vote on the nomination of U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Nguyen of the Central District of California to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has been scheduled for next Monday. Nguyen and two other of President Obama’s judicial nominees, who will be voted on the same day, are the latest beneficiaries of a bipartisan agreement to give confirmation votes to more than a dozen potential appointees who have been approved by the Judiciary Committee but whose confirmations have been stuck for months. read full story

04/30/12 – Coburn withholds approval for judgeship hearings
Three months after President Barack Obama nominated federal magistrate Judge Robert E. Bacharach for a long-vacant seat on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Sen. Tom Coburn has yet to give approval for a Senate hearing. read full story

04/27/12 – Senate confirms Costa for isle federal judgeship
The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed President Barack Obama’s nomination of Gregg Jeffrey Costa as a federal judge to fill a district court vacancy in Galveston. After a speech by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Senate voted, 97-2, to confirm Costa, who will preside in the oldest federal judgeship in the state. Costa fills the seat vacated by the impeachment and resignation of Samuel B. Kent in June 2009. read full story

04/27/12 – Doggett says delayed confirmation of Texas judges ‘long overdue’
Texas lost one ignominious distinction yesterday: The state with the highest number of emergency judicial vacancies. After a five-month delay, the Senate voted Thursday to confirm two non-controversial presidential nominees to fill judicial vacancies in Texas, leaving California as the state least able to cope with its federal court backlog. The state still has four judicial openings, however, including one in San Antonio. read full story

04/26/12 – U.S. Senate confirms David Guaderrama as El Paso’s newest federal district judge
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Guaderrama has been confirmed by the Senate as El Paso's newest federal district judge. The Senate confirmed Guaderrama's nomination to the bench this morning by voice vote. Guaderrama has been a federal judge since October 2010. read full story

04/26/12 – Senate confirms Obama judicial nominees for Texas
The Senate confirmed two of President Obama's judicial nominees for district court positions in Texas on Thursday. Gregg Jeffrey Costa was confirmed as the U.S. District judge for the Southern District and David Campos Guaderrama was confirmed as U.S. District judge for Texas's Western District. The vote was 92 to 2 for Costa and Guaderrama was confirmed by voice vote. read full story

04/26/12 – Senate Judiciary advances Salt Lake lawyer for federal judgeship
A Salt Lake lawyer moved a step closer to becoming a federal judge Thursday, though one Utah senator didn't vote for him. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Robert J. Shelby to fill a judicial vacancy in U.S. District Court. Though Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said he "unequivocally" supports Shelby, he voted no to continue his protest of President Barack Obama's four recess appointments made in January. read full story

04/26/12 – Senator Holds Fast to Principle with ‘No’ Votes for Judicial Nominees
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) voted against a federal judicial nominee today that he actually supports. Although that sounds like a mistake, Lee did this on purpose. The reason: Lee got caught between a nominee and a hardened political stance during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill when it came to Robert Shelby, a non-controversial nominee for district judge in Lee’s home state of Utah. read full story

04/26/12 – Curiel clears Senate hurdle
San Diego Superior Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel moved one step closer Thursday to a seat on the federal bench when the Senate judiciary committee approved his nomination. Curiel, a former federal prosecutor in San Diego, was nominated in November to fill the seat of Judge Thomas Whelan, who has taken senior status. He was approved on a voice vote by the committee. read full story

04/26/12 – Obama nominates Debevoise attorney Schofield to SDNY bench
President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Lorna Schofield, a longtime Debevoise & Plimpton attorney, to be a U.S. District judge in the Southern District of New York. If approved, Schofield,56, would be the first Filipina-American on the federal bench. In recommending Schofield in January, Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said: "When I select judges, I always look for three things - excellence, diversity, and moderation - and Schofield exemplifies all of these qualities." read full story

04/26/12 – Reid gets no movement on federal judicial nominee Cadish
Sen. Harry Reid has made his case for the Senate to advance his selection for a Nevada federal judgeship, but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears. Reid, the Senate majority leader, presented Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., with editorials from Nevada newspapers supporting a confirmation hearing for Clark County District Judge Elissa Cadish. read full story

04/26/12 – NRA to Heller: Thanks for blocking Cadish nomination
In a letter this week to Sen. Dean Heller, the executive director of the National Rifle Association thanked the Nevada Republican for opposing Judge Elissa Cadish's nomination to the federal bench. The missive from Chris Cox also criticizes Cadish's position on the Second Amendment as antithetical to "the views of America's 100 million gun owners" and praises Heller's "strong, principled" opposition to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's choice. read full story

04/26/12 – Obama picks ex-U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg for fed judge
President Barack Obama nominated former interim U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg on Wednesday for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench in Detroit. Berg, whose candidacy was first reported by The Detroit News, was one of four candidates nominated Wednesday to undergo Senate confirmation, which legal experts said could be delayed by the November presidential election. read full story

04/26/12 – Committee — but not Mike Lee — approves Utah nominee
The Senate Judiciary Committee signed off on the judicial nomination of Robert Shelby, who is now just one confirmation vote away from being Utah’s next federal judge. Shelby has the support of Utah’s two senators — Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee — though Lee voted against his nomination Thursday as part of his ongoing protest against four recess appointments President Barack Obama made at the beginning of the year. Lee’s was the only vote in opposition, though he made clear to express his "unequivocal support" for the nominee. read full story

04/26/12 – Senate confirms U.S. judges for Galveston, El Paso
After a five-month delay, the Senate voted Thursday to confirm two non-controversial presidential nominees to fill federal judgeships in Texas, including a vacancy in Galveston. The state still has four judicial openings. "The confirmation of these two individuals was long overdue," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin. "While this process took far too long and there remain too many unfilled judicial vacancies in Texas, this vote represents modest progress." read full story

04/25/12 – 2 Treasure Coast attorneys among 12 vying for federal judge spot
Two Treasure Coast attorneys are among a dozen who will be interviewed Friday in their quest to become the first federal judge to be based full time in Fort Pierce. At the U.S. District Courthouse in Miami, the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission will spend a half-hour interviewing each of the 12 candidates on the shortlist for the nomination to replace Judge Adalberto Jordan, who was elevated to a spot on the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. read full story

04/25/12 – Lorna Schofield Nominated To U.S. District Court
President Obama today nominated Lorna Schofield, an attorney with Manhattan firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, to replace Judge Shira Sheindlin (ret.) on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. read full story

04/25/12 – Terrence Berg nominated to be federal judge in Detroit
President Barack Obama today nominated Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg for a judgeship on the U.S. District Court in Detroit. Berg, 52, joined the U.S. Attorneys Office as a prosecutor in 1989. In 1999, then-Michigan Attorney General Jennifer Granholm picked him to run her office’s high-tech crimes unit. read full story

04/25/12 – RIVERSIDE: Obama nominates Jesus Bernal to federal bench
President Obama has nominated Jesus Bernal, who heads the Inland-area public defender’s office in Riverside, as a judge for the vacant federal court bench in Riverside, Sen. Barbara Boxer’s office announced Wednesday. Bernal served since July 2006 as the directing attorney for the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Riverside, overseeing a staff that handles cases for indigent defendants in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. read full story

04/25/12 – BR lawyer tapped for U.S. judgeship
“I’m extremely honored and privileged I have the opportunity to serve Louisiana and the nation,” Dick said late Wednesday afternoon. Dick said she never set out to become a federal judge, but that she hopes her skill set will make her a good fit for the federal bench. “It’s something I take extremely seriously, and I’m very humbled,” she said. read full story

04/25/12 – Blue-slip boycott bypass may be busted
U.S. Sen. Harry Reid‘s plan to bypass fellow Sen. Dean Heller may be busted before it begins. Erica Chabot, a spokeswoman for the Senate Judiciary Committee, said today that Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is serious about his policy of not holding hearings on judicial nominees unless both senators sign the so-called blue slip. read full story

04/25/12 – Reid to try end run around Heller on judicial nominee Cadish
Sen. Harry Reid said Wednesday that he plans to ask Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy to consider making an exception to the Senate’s usual process and move Elissa Cadish’s judicial nomination to the Nevada federal bench ahead over Sen. Dean Heller’s objections. But he didn’t sound that optimistic that anything would come of it. “I am going to visit with Pat and go over it,” Reid said. “But I don’t think he will do it.” read full story

04/25/12 – Reid seeks to bypass Heller on judge nominee
Sen. Harry Reid said Wednesday he is seeking a way around opposition to place Clark County judge Elissa Cadish on the federal court in Nevada. Reid said he plans to ask Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy to hold a confirmation hearing on Cadish, circumventing objections from fellow Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada. read full story

04/25/12 – President Barack Obama nominates first woman for Baton Rouge federal court
President Barack Obama Wednesday nominated Baton Rouge attorney Rachelle "Shelly" Decker Dick to be a federal District judge for the Middle District of Louisiana. If confirmed by the Senate, Dick a founding partner of the law firm Forrester and Dick, LLC, would be the first woman to serve on that court, according to Glenn Sugameli who follows judicial nominees for Defenders of Wildlife. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who had recommended her nomination, praised the president's choice. read full story

04/25/12 – Legislative Logjam: ABA-Supported Bills Bog Down in Partisan Congress
While nominees to the federal appellate courts—and even the Supreme Court—occasionally trigger controversy and delays in the confirmation process, district court nominees reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee without strong opposition historically have been virtually assured of relatively swift confirmation. No more. read full story

04/25/12 – Nominee to 1st Circuit described as judicial elitist
The Senate Judiciary Committee has endorsed a candidate for the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that a watchdog group refers to as an elitist. read full story

04/25/12 – President Obama Nominates Four to Serve on the US District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Terrence G. Berg, Jesus G. Bernal, Shelly Deckert Dick and Lorna G. Schofield to serve on the United States District Court. “I am honored to put forward these highly qualified candidates for the federal bench,” President Obama said. “They will be distinguished public servants and valuable additions to the United States District Court.” read full story

04/24/12 – Jackson County judge is confirmed for federal bench
“Brian Wimes has been a steady fixture in this courthouse for close to two decades,” said Presiding Judge Charles E. Atwell. “He is a valued colleague and friend to all of us on the Jackson County Court, and he will be missed.” read full story

04/24/12 – Sen. Dick Lugar’s challenger, Richard Mourdock: I’ll be more conservative on Supreme Court nominees
Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana has argued that he voted for Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagen and Sonia Sotomayor because other nominees would have been more liberal, said Richard Mourdock, state treasurer and Lugar's Republican primary challenger on Monday afternoon at a Federalist Society candidate forum. But that argument isn't good enough for Mourdock and shouldn't be good enough for voters, he argued. read full story

04/23/12 – Nassau candidate for U.S. District Court known as dedicated to public service
During his time in the State Attorney's Office, Davis was instrumental in addressing sociological problems and bringing attention to them, Shorstein said. In 1994, Davis was appointed a circuit judge, a position he still holds. He has overseen family law, civil and juvenile cases. He presides in Nassau County today. Two months ago, President Barack Obama nominated Davis to be a U.S. district judge in Florida's Middle District, which stretches from Jacksonville to Fort Myers. read full story

04/24/12 – Missouri judge wins U.S. Senate confirmation amid delays
In a break in the logjam over White House appointments, the Senate confirmed Brian C. Wimes as a federal judge in Missouri this afternoon seven months after his nomination by President Barack Obama. Wimes, a judge in the 16th Judicial Circuit in Kansas City, was confirmed in a 92-1 vote for the U.S. District Court for the the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri. He will serve in the Western District with availability for the federal bench in St. Louis, enabling flexibility depending on caseload. read full story

04/23/12 – Senate confirms Missouri district judge nominee
The Senate confirmed the nomination of Brian Wimes as U.S. District Judge for the eastern and western districts of Missouri on Monday. Wimes was confirmed in a vote of 91-1. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) was the nay vote. The confirmation is part of a deal reached by Senate Democrats and Republicans to confirm 14 of President Obama's 17 judicial nominees by May 7th. read full story

04/23/12 – Brown voted for all but five of Obama’s judicial nominations
Senator Scott Brown, another guy who is in the fight of his political life, voted for all but five of a possible 77 appointments that he was present for, meaning he voted for the nominee at the same rate as Lugar after being elected in early 2010. According to this account, Brown has the second most moderate voting record among Republicans when it comes to Obama appointees. read full story

04/22/12 – How to judge judges is key topic
Incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar has supported court nominees from Republican and Democratic presidents, even some that other GOP lawmakers say are too liberal to be confirmed. That’s because Lugar believes that the Senate’s role in confirming nominees is to determine whether the individual is qualified to serve. Lugar doesn’t appear to see this role as at all political. read full story

04/20/12 – Reid, Heller, spar over judicial nominee; Heller says he can’t support Cadish
Nevada's U.S. Sens. Harry Reid and Dean Heller are in a standoff over the nomination of Clark County District Judge Elissa Cadish to the federal bench. Heller met with Cadish and issued a statement Friday reiterating his concerns over her answer on a 2008 questionnaire about gun rights. Heller says he "cannot in good conscience support a nominee whose commitment to the Constitution's Second Amendment is in doubt." read full story

04/20/12 – Senate panel endorses Kayatta for judgeship
Such strong support from the committee is a good sign for Kayatta, said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law. Tobias characterized Kayatta's hearing before the 18-member committee last month as routine and without controversy. "The only real question is how soon he could get a floor vote," said Tobias, who has a specialty in judicial nominations. "That could be some time. They move very slowly on appellate nominees." read full story

04/20/12 – Judiciary Committee endorses Portland lawyer for 1st Circuit Court of Appeals
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday endorsed the nomination of Portland attorney William J. Kayatta to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based in Boston. A vote by the full Senate has not been set. read full story

04/20/12 – Heller meets nominee Cadish, won’t budge
A meeting Friday morning between Sen. Dean Heller and Clark County judge Elissa Cadish failed to break an impasse over her nomination to the federal court in Nevada. The two met for half an hour in Heller's office in Las Vegas, a Heller spokesman said. read full story

04/20/12 – Reid, Heller, in standoff over judicial nominee
Nevada's two U.S. senators are in a standoff over the nomination of a state judge to the federal bench, with neither side showing signs of flinching. Sen. Dean Heller met with Clark County District Judge Elissa Cadish and issued a statement Friday reiterating his concern over her answer on a 2008 questionnaire from Citizens for Responsible Government that she returned while running for state judge. read full story

04/20/12 – So what is this blue slip holding up the Cadish nomination?
The blue slip is a tradition, and one that has almost never been broken – and not once during the tenure of Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy. I have posted the blue slip Heller did sign – for Miranda Du – at right, so you can see the wording. It is not ambiguous: “Please give me your opinion concerning the following nomination now pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee.” And then the senator is asked to check either “I approve” or “I oppose” on the form. read full story

04/19/12 – Senate Judiciary Committee approves nomination of Fowlkes for federal judgeship
The Senate Judiciary Committee this morning approved the nomination of Memphis Criminal Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. for the vacant federal judgeship in the Western District of Tennessee. The next step is a confirmation vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate, a vote that has not been scheduled. The Senate leadership is working through a compromise plan to allow floor votes on a list of federal judges previously approved by the committee. Fowlkes is not on that list. read full story

04/19/20 – Agreement on Wimes nomination
As a result of this agreement, at approximately 5:30pm on Monday, April 23, the Senate will proceed to vote on confirmation of the nomination of Brian Wimes, of Missouri, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri. read full story

04/19/12 – Paterson native is one of two federal judge nominees approved by Senate Judiciary Committee
Paterson native Michael A. Shipp and fellow attorney Kevin McNulty have moved a step closer to being confirmed as judges on the federal bench in New Jersey. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved their nominations on a voice vote with one objection, from Sen. Michael Lee, R.-Utah, setting the stage for confirmation by the full Senate. read full story

04/20/12 – Federal judge nominee Rose gets majority vote from Senate Judiciary Committee
U.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose received a majority vote on her nomination for federal judge Thursday by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the committee, said there was an issue raised since the last hearing about Rose but her nomination would go to the Senate floor pending review. read full story

04/19/12 – Analysis: A Romney pick for top U.S. court? Frontrunners emerge
Romney has pledged to nominate judges in the mold of the Supreme Court's four most conservative justices, and he has said the court should overrule Roe v. Wade, the 1973 opinion that said women have a right to an abortion. Romney formed a committee of lawyers in August 2011 to advise him on court nominations and on legal policy questions led by prominent conservatives such as Robert Bork, whose conservative views led Democrats to block his 1987 nomination to the court. Paul Clement, who served as U.S. solicitor general under President George W. Bush and is now a lawyer in private practice, is the favorite of many conservatives read full story

04/17/12 – Stephanie Thacker confirmed to 4th Circuit Court of Appeals
A Charleston attorney will serve on the bench as a 4th Circuit Court of Appeals judge, following the U.S. Senate's April 16 confirmation. A Hamlin native, Stephanie Dawn Thacker was nominated by President Barack Obama to fill the vacancy created in March 2011 from the death of 4th Circuit Judge M. Blane Michael. read full story

04/17/12 – Despite Senate Deal on Judges, Panel Finds Partisan Acrimony Worse Than Ever
The comments were made during a panel discussion on the topic of how progressives should care more about judges and what they should be doing to make the courts more of a priority. Robert Raben, the president and founder of the Raben group and chairman of the Fair Judiciary Committee, said he thinks the judicial nominee selection process is much easier for conservatives. Those nominees need the support of the U.S. Chamber, and not be in favor of abortion rights. But on the left, Raben said there's a matrix of organizations that have concerns like reproductive rights and environmental rights and gay rights. “And and and and and,” Raben said. “It feels when you operate on the left there are 100 peremptory challenges” to overcome. read full story

04/16/12 – W.Va. attorney confirmed to federal appeals court
West Virginia attorney Stephanie Thacker has been confirmed to a federal appeals court. The U.S. Senate voted 91-3 in favor of Thacker to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Monday evening. The roll call vote came after an executive session held to consider her nomination, with 60 minutes for debate, equally divided. In March, senators finally agreed to consider Thacker's nomination this month. read full story

04/13/12 – Senate Likely to Confirm Seven More Obama Judicial Nominees by May 7
Senators returning to Washington from their spring recess are expected to confirm seven of President Obama’s judicial nominees during the next three weeks, beginning with Monday’s vote on an appeals court nominee. read full story

04/13/12 – Romney to NRA: Obama will pack court, limit guns
GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney warns Friday that President Obama will use his second term to pack the Supreme Court with liberals that will take away Constitutional freedoms and limit the rights of gun owners. read full story

04/13/12 – Rare agreement
The Las Vegas Sun and the Review-Journal are rarely on the same side of an issue. But when it comes to the nomination of District Court Judge Elissa Cadish to the bench, both the Sun and the R-J agree in editorials that U.S. Sen. Dean Heller should end his one-man campaign of opposition and let her nomination move forward. read full story

04/12/12 – Apply for a Colorado Judicial Nomination by May 11
Senator Michael Bennet and Senator Mark Udall encourage qualified individuals to apply for a vacancy on the United States District Court before the May 11 deadline. read full story

04/12/12 – NRA Drops $200K Against Republican Dick Lugar After Lugar Supports Sotomayor and Kagan
So rather than really being about his record on legislation, the NRA-PVF appears to be punishing Sen. Lugar for not giving it a veto over judicial nominations — and betting that a Sen. Mourdock would. Ultimately, however, it’s not clear how many potential judicial nominees could ever satisfy the NRA’s absurd standards — in its brief history in the business of judicial politics, the NRA has routinely opposed nominees who did nothing more than refuse to ignore binding legal precedents that the NRA doesn’t like. In other words, lawmakers who support judges who faithfully follow the law could be subject to the same attacks that Lugar now faces, while supporters of conservative judicial activism will get off scot free. read full story

04/12/12 – Bataillon: Vacancies strain court system
Political wrangling and a lack of voting deadlines make the judicial confirmation process a long one, leaving judicial seats vacant for longer than necessary and, in some cases, delaying trials, U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon said Wednesday. Bataillon, a former deputy Douglas County public defender, told a room full of students and faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Law that a faster confirmation process in Congress could help ease the strain caused by federal judge vacancies in areas with overwhelming caseloads. read full story

04/11/12 – Berkley expresses support for judicial nominee
U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley on Wednesday expressed support for Elissa Cadish, whose nomination to the federal bench is being blocked by U.S. Sen. Dean Heller. Berkley called Cadish a "close personal friend" and suggested the Clark County district judge should be given a shot at a promotion. "She's well qualified for the position," Berkley said when asked by a reporter whether she backs Cadish. Berkley refused, however, to insert herself in the stand off between Heller, R-Nev., and U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D- Nev., who nominated Cadish for the federal bench. read full story

04/11/12 – Lakeland Lawyer in Running for U.S. District Court Post
A Lakeland lawyer is among three nominees whose names have been sent to the White House to fill a federal court vacancy for the Middle District of Florida. Stephen Senn, a lawyer with Peterson Myers for 20 years, was among the nominees selected by the Judicial Nominating CommitteeAlso nominated for the position are U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Polster Chappell of Fort Myers and William F. Jung, a partner with Jung & Sisco P.A. in Tampa. read full story

04/10/12 – Heller says he does not intend to change his mind on judicial nominee
U.S. Sen. Dean Heller said Tuesday he does not intend to change his mind to allow Clark County District Judge Elissa Cadish to advance in becoming a federal judge in Nevada. Heller, R-Nev., said he does not plan to reverse his opposition to Cadish and his moves that have effectively blocked the Senate from considering her nomination. "The decision's been made," Heller said after an appearance at the UNLV Paradise Campus. read full story

04/10/12 – Berkley: Cadish is a friend, but I won’t comment on her nomination; judge to meet with Heller
Rep. Shelley Berkley, who is running for the Senate, declined today to weigh in on the controversy surrounding Judge Elissa Cadish, who is being blocked by Sen. Dean Heller because she said a constitutional right to bear arms is not in the Constitution. "Judge Cadish is a personal friend of Congresswoman Berkley, who deeply respects her judicial ability and service. However, it would not be appropriate for Congresswoman Berkley to weigh in on a pending judicial nomination without all the information afforded to a sitting Senator," said Communications Director David Cherry read full story

04/10/12 – Berg in running for federal bench in Detroit
A former interim U.S. Attorney is being vetted by the FBI for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench in Detroit, three sources told The Detroit News. If Assistant U.S. Attorney Terrence Berg survives the vetting process, he is expected to be recommended to President Barack Obama by U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow and undergo the Senate confirmation process. read full story

04/10/12 – Sen. Whitehouse says he would reject Supreme Court nomination while unemployment remains high
First-term Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said Monday that he would turn down a chance to be the next Supreme Court justice because he would prefer to keep working on lowering the unemployment rate. According to Providence Business News, Whitehouse was asked Monday whether he would reject a Supreme Court nomination, given that Vice President Biden discussed the possibility of nominating Whitehouse a few years ago. "I would," Whitehouse said. "When unemployment goes down to 3 percent, maybe I'll think about it. But we’ve got a lot of work to do." read full story

04/09/12 – Federal judge in Nebraska to speak about large number of judicial vacancies in federal courts
A federal judge in Nebraska is speaking out about the large number of judicial vacancies in the federal court system. U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon will present "Our Courts in Crisis" at the University of Nebraska College of Law. The talk is set for 12:10 p.m. Wednesday. read full story

04/09/12 – Reid: I would have nominated Cadish even had I known she said no constitutional right to bear arms
The letter solicited by Reid to try to save her nomination, first reported by the RJ’s Steve Sebelius, puts the best face on an ugly visage, one easily portrayed – or in reality – as a negation of the Second Amendment. Should such an answer, now explained, disqualify an otherwise eminently qualified judge from the federal bench? Heller says yes, and said on Face to Face on Friday that he will not waver. read full story

04/03/12 – Robert R. Beezer, judge on 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, dies at 83
Robert R. Beezer, a federal judge on the nation's busiest court for the last 28 years and author of landmark decisions on judicial authority, digital media sharing and capital punishment, has died of lung cancer. He was 83. Beezer's death Friday at a Seattle hospital was the sixth among 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges in little more than a year, dealing yet another blow to the overwhelmed bench that hears cases from nine Western states and two Pacific territories. read full story

04/03/12 – Congressmen: Federal court vacancies reaching ‘crisis’ point
With 13 percent of Texas' federal benches vacant, the state is undergoing a judicial crisis and partisan stalling in the Senate is to blame, Democratic Congressmen Charlie Gonzalez and Lloyd Doggett told a group of San Antonio law students Tuesday. “Any objective analysis of the data will show you something is terribly wrong,” Gonzalez said in a forum at St. Mary's School of Law organized in part by the left-leaning advocacy group Progress Texas. “What's going on is truly inexcusable. There's no way these facts and figures can be defended by those causing the impasse.” Seven of Texas' 52 benches are empty. read full story

04/03/12 – Cadish defenders arise
While the nomination of District Court Judge Elissa Cadish to the federal bench still appears to be stalled by the unspoken objections of U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, some defenders of the judge are speaking out. read full story

04/02/12 – U.S. Senate to vote on W.Va. attorney’s nomination to Fourth Circuit
The U.S. Senate agreed last week to consider the nomination of West Virginia attorney Stephanie Thacker to a federal appeals court later this month. In a floor update, posted late Thursday, Democrats announced that Thacker's nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit will be considered at 4:30 p.m. April 16. read full story

04/02/12 – Respected judge set high standards in law, life
Appointed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1984 by President Reagan, Judge Robert "Bob" Beezer continued hearing cases and authoring opinions even as his eyesight failed and arthritis gripped his back and legs. A third-generation Seattleite, Judge Beezer was a "consummate gentleman" who abhorred incivility as much as he loved the law. read full story

03/29/12 – Lawsuit accuses federal judge nominee Stephanie Rose of discrimination
A Sioux City woman has filed a lawsuit that accuses Stephanie Rose, an Iowan under consideration for a federal judgeship, of what amounts to bad boss behavior. Martha Fagg, a 12-year lawyer with the U.S. Attorney’s office, is suing for discrimination, harassment and a hostile work environment based on Fagg’s age, mental and physical disabilities. Rose, 39, is under consideration in the U.S. Senate to be the next federal judge in the Southern District of Iowa — a lifetime appointment. read full story

03/29/12 – Amid Signs of Continued Slowdown, Senate Panel Approves Three Judicial Nominees
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved three judicial nominees today on Capitol Hill, among hints that a dispute about President Barack Obama’s controversial recess appointees could stall their confirmations by the full Senate. Nominees Richard Taranto for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Robin Rosenbaum for the Southern District of Florida were approved with a voice vote, and only one vote against each. The committee also voted 10-6 to approve Gershwin Drain for the Eastern District of Michigan, despite Republicans expressing concerns about his views on gun ownership rights and the death penalty. read full story

03/29/12 – Robin Rosenbaum makes it out of Committee
Robin Rosenbaum makes it out of Committee. Next step is the Floor vote, which will likely happen after May 7, but at least we are moving in the right direction. read full story

03/29/12 – Why Heller opposes Cadish as fed judge: She indicated she does not believe in constitutional right to bear arms
Sen. Dean Heller is opposing Clark County District Court Judge Elissa Cadish for a federal appointment (she was tabbed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid) because she said in 2008 that she does not believe there is a constitutional right to bear arms, sources confirm. read full story

03/29/12 – LV nominee to federal bench explains gun rights position in letter to Harry Reid
With Sen. Dean Heller opposed to her nomination, Elissa Cadish’s nomination to the federal bench is in jeopardy. But the Nevada judge is trying to correct the bad initial impression by clarifying to Sen. Harry Reid, who supports her nomination, that when she said in 2008 that she didn’t think there was an individual right to bear arms, she wasn’t expressing a personal opinion — just parsing what she believed to be the meaning of the Second Amendment. read full story

03/29/12 – Gun control view throws curve into Nevada judicial nominee
A Clark County judge's 2008 statement on gun rights has thrown a sudden curve into her nomination to become a federal judge in Nevada. Filling out an election-year survey, District Judge Elissa Cadish told a conservative citizens group in Las Vegas she believed "reasonable restrictions may be imposed on gun ownership in the interest of public safety." read full story

03/29/12 – Senate confirms Miranda Du to federal bench
The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nomination of Miranda Du to the U.S. District Court bench in Nevada. The Reno attorney won confirmation Wednesday on a 59-39 roll call vote. She becomes the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the federal court bench in Nevada. read full story

03/28/12 – Senate confirms Miranda Du to federal bench
Reno attorney Miranda Du was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday as Nevada's newest U.S. District Court judge, becoming the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the federal bench in the state. The Senate vote was 59-39 to confirm Du for the lifetime appointment. Du was recommended by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who said Du's journey through life that began in Vietnam proved the "American dream is alive and well." read full story

03/28/12 – With Lee’s backing, Senate to move on judicial pick
Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy plans to move ahead with a confirmation vote for a federal judge nominee from Utah after assurances from Sen. Mike Lee that he supports the pick for a vacancy on the district court. Leahy had warned last week that he would hold Utah lawyer Robert Shelby’s nomination unless Lee backs the judicial candidate. read full story

03/28/12 – Senate confirms Obama nominee despite GOP opposition
The Senate confirmed President Obama's nominee to serve on the Federal District Court for the District of Nevada, 59-39, on Wednesday despite opposition from ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and most Senate Republicans. The Senate also confirmed Susie Morgan to be district judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana by a vote of 96-1. read full story

03/28/12 – Attorney Susie Morgan confirmed to New Orleans federal district court
Nearly 10 months after her nomination by President Barack Obama, attorney Susie Morgan won Senate confirmation Wednesday to a seat on the New Orleans Federal District Court. The vote was 96-1. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who pushed for Morgan's nomination, apologized to her for the long delay, saying it had nothing to with her qualifications. Like so many other Obama nominees, Landrieu said, Morgan's confirmation was held up by politics as Republicans stalled confirmation of nominees by the Democratic president. read full story

03/27/12 – Cadish nomination to federal bench in jeopardy after Heller informs Reid he won’t support her
Sen. Dean Heller has informed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he will not sign off on the nomination of Clark County District Judge Elissa Cadish to the federal bench, an extraordinary move that rarely happens between two senators of the same state, sources confirm. read full story

03/25/12 – Wide-ranging civil cases slow justice at federal court in New Orleans
A new report shows that the trial court for the 13-parish Eastern District of Louisiana takes almost two years to resolve civil cases -- triple the national rate for federal courts. That makes the New Orleans court the second-slowest in the country, behind only the Manhattan-based court for the Southern District of New York, which takes more than three years. read full story

03/23/12 – Abrams Confirmed for Seat on Southern District Bench
Ronnie Abrams, special counsel for pro bono at Davis Polk & Wardwell, was overwhelmingly confirmed, 96-2, by the U.S. Senate on March 22 to fill a vacancy on the Southern District bench. Ms. Abrams, who was nominated on July 28, replaces Judge Lewis Kaplan, who has taken senior status. read full story

03/22/12 – Vote on Richard Taranto Held Over
The nomination of Richard Taranto to the Federal Circuit as well as the nominations of other judges were on the schedule of the Senate Judiciary Committee for March 22nd, 2012; but, discussion of those nominations had to be held over for a later date when not enough senators showed up for the meeting. Senator Leahy characterized the lack of attendance by Republican senators as a boycott. read full story

03/22/12 – Utah federal judge approved despite Sen. Mike Lee’s ‘no’ vote
Despite his no vote, Lee has repeatedly expressed that he thinks Nuffer will make an exceptional judge. Lee supported Nuffer’s nomination and voted for him in the Senate Judiciary Committee last October. Lee has voted against every single judicial and administrative nominee this year, a protest against the president’s recess appointment of Richard Cordray to head a new consumer watchdog agency that Lee argues broke the law. The Senate was meeting for less than a minute every few days to block such appointments in a deal with House Republicans. read full story

03/22/12 – Senate Confirms Contreras as Newest U.S. District Court Judge in D.C.
The Senate confirmed Rudolph Contreras today as a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia, becoming the second Latino to serve on D.C.'s federal district court. Contreras, the civil division chief of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington since 2006, was approved by a floor voice vote this afternoon. He was nominated for the post in July by President Barack Obama after a recommendation from Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.). read full story

03/22/12 – Senate Confirms Ronnie Abrams to Federal Judge Seat
The Senate voted to confirm Ronnie Abrams' nomination to be a U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of New York this afternoon. Her nomination was among those stalled by partisan fighting until Democrats and Republicans struck a deal last week to move forward on a growing list of judicial nominees. read full story

03/22/12 – Senate confirms new federal judge for Utah; Lee votes no
The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly confirmed David O. Nuffer as a federal judge Thursday, though one of Utah's senators did not vote for him. Sen. Lee said he "continued taking this principled stance" by voting against Nuffer. "I did so despite my unequivocal support for Judge Nuffer and my belief that he will be an excellent federal district court judge," he said. Sen. Hatch, R-Utah, said he knows Nuffer well, and that "he has the experience, temperament, and integrity to be a great federal judge. He’s been involved in virtually all aspects of the Utah legal community and is widely respected by lawyers and judges throughout our state." read full story

03/22/12 – Anti-abortion group endorses Mourdock
Senator Richard Lugar's GOP primary opponent, Richard Mourdock, won an endorsement Thursday from the political action committee for Indiana Right to Life. The organization is worried that a second Obama term could lead to nominations that would shift the balance of the Supreme Court. Lugar frequently says that any president deserves support for his judicial choices so long as they are qualified. read full story

03/22/12 – Gillibrand gets her first judge: Ronnie Abrams, daughter of Flody and sister of Dan
The Senate voted this afternoon to confirm Ronnie Abrams as a district court judge for New York, the first court confirmation for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who called Abrams "a superbly qualified female jurist." read full story

03/20/12 – Michelle Obama words hint support for gay marriage
While campaigning for her husband in New York City, First Lady Michelle Obama twice reminded people that it is the president who makes appointments to the US Supreme Court and that those appointments could impact gay marriage. read full story

03/17/12 – Federal courts in Arizona face crushing caseload
Federal courts in Arizona are still in “dire circumstances” as an emergency declaration that was supposed to help judges keep pace with a crushing caseload is set to expire. The judicial emergency declared last year in the wake of the shooting death of Chief Judge John Roll runs out Monday, but officials say the U.S. District Court for the state still faces many of the same challenges. read full story

03/16/12 – Michael Fitzgerald, Approved on 91-6 Vote, Will Be First Out LGBT Federal Judge Outside New York
Michael Fitzgerald, an out gay California lawyer, received overwhelming approval today from the U.S. Senate, with a 91-6 vote, for his nomination to serve as a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California -- making him the fourth out LGBT federal, lifetime-tenured judge in the nation. Fitzgerald's confirmation will make him the first out LGBT Article III judge serving outside of New York City. read full story

03/16/12 – Senate confirms federal judge for Southern California
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Michael W. Fitzgerald as a federal trial judge for a vast region stretching from San Luis Obispo to Orange counties in California, after a political endurance contest that's now standard practice on Capitol Hill. Nominated last July, Fitzgerald had to wait four months following his unanimous Senate Judiciary Committee approval in November before winning confirmation Thursday afternoon on a 91-6 vote. Democrats finally threatened a series of special votes to break the Republican delay of Fitzgerald and other candidates. read full story

03/16/12 – Civil rights advocates fear judicial nominations deal won’t last
Backed by a panel of prominent attorneys and a civil rights advocate, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) urged the Senate on March 15 to forego political maneuvering to clear a backlog of federal judicial nominees in a timely manner. Coons hailed the nominees for their courage in going through the vetting process — and said it was "ridiculous" they should spend months waiting for final approval due to unrelated political conflicts. "It's no small matter when talented jurists and lawyers want to serve their country and must wait several months just to receive a vote," Coons said. "It makes no sense." read full story

03/16/12 – Senators strike deal to move along judicial nominees
U.S. Senate leaders, in an effort to avoid further deadlock, struck a deal this week on the confirmation of a group of judicial nominees. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed to confirm 14 of 22 pending nominees by May 7, according to reports. That would mean two to three confirmation votes could be held a week while the Senate is in session. read full story

03/16/12 – Kansas City’s U.S. Attorney Phillips will move to the federal bench
Beth Phillips, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, was confirmed March 6 for a spot on the federal bench. It appears that the other local nominee for a federal judgeship, Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Brian Wimes, might not be far behind. read full story

03/16/12 – Judge Hillman’s nomination not part of Senate deal
Leaders of the U.S. Senate have reached a deal to allow votes on more than a dozen nominees for federal judgeships in the next few weeks — but the timing of action on the nomination of Magistrate Judge Timothy S. Hillman, nominated for a Worcester-based U.S. District judgeship, remains up in the air. read full story

03/16/12 – Groh set for federal bench
In a 95-2 roll call vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed Thursday Berkeley County Circuit Court Judge Gina Marie Groh's nomination for a federal judgeship in the U.S. Northern District. Groh was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 19, 2011, to fill the seat on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. That seat has been left vacant since 2006, following the death of Judge W. Craig Broadwater. read full story

03/16/12 – Michael Fitzgerald 1st openly gay U.S. judge in CA
A Los Angeles attorney won Senate confirmation to the federal bench on Thursday and will become California's first openly gay federal judge. President Obama nominated Michael Fitzgerald, a former federal prosecutor, in July to the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Obama has named three other gay men or lesbians to the bench, and two, Paul Oetken and Alison Nathan, both of New York, have been confirmed. read full story

03/15/12 – Federal judge nominee Rose explains her role in Postville raid to Senate committee
U.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose explained her role in the 2008 Postville immigration raid during a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday for her and others who have been nominated as federal judges. Rose was nominated by President Barack Obama last month for the federal bench in the Southern District. If confirmed, she will replace Chief Judge Robert Pratt, who will retire July 1. read full story

03/15/12 – U.S. circuit-court nominee’s hearing goes ‘very smoothly’
Saying he "reveres the rule of law," William Kayatta Jr. told Senate Judiciary Committee members Wednesday that his rulings will be bound by legal precedent and recognize a federal judge's limited powers if he is confirmed to fill Maine's seat on the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. Kayatta, a nationally prominent trial attorney and a partner in the Pierce Atwood law firm in Portland, faced only a few questions from the four committee members who were present for his hearing -- none indicating any controversy that's likely to impede his confirmation. read full story

03/15/12 – Judge John Fowlkes goes before Senate Judiciary Committee
Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. of Memphis talked about being a former prosecutor, his policy regarding recusal and treating all who come before him with "respect and courtesy" in his appearance Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Fowlkes, 60, a Shelby County Criminal Court judge since 2007, is being considered for the U.S. District Court vacancy for the Western District of Tennessee. read full story

03/15/12 – 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Gina Marie Groh confirmed by U.S. Senate
A 23rd Judicial Circuit judge could serve on the federal bench after the U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination March 15 in a 95-2 vote. Gina Marie Groh was nominated in May by President Barack Obama to fill a vacant seat left from the 2006 death of Northern U.S. District Judge W. Craig Broadwater. read full story

03/15/12 – Senate OKs nominee to federal bench
The U.S. Senate today (March 15) approved the nomination of the first openly gay federal judge for California, Michael Fitzgerald of Los Angeles. The vote was 91 to 6, with three senators not voting, making Fitzgerald the fifth openly gay federal judge currently on the bench in the country. read full story

03/15/12 – Senate leaves Tharp off list of judicial nominees up for vote
A Chicago lawyer described by one observer as "a textbook example of what you would want in a federal judge" has been left off the list of judicial nominees to be considered by the U.S. Senate. Attorney John J. Tharp Jr. is a Mayer, Brown LLP partner who was nominated by President Barack Obama in November to serve on the federal trial bench in Chicago. read full story

03/15/12 – Senators end DC standoff on judicial nominees; a New Yorker moves forward
Senate Democrats and Republicans on Wednesday announced an agreement to allow the Senate to vote on 14 federal judicial nominations – including one from New York – by May 7, breaking a parliamentary deadlock that has kept some of the nominations bottled up for nearly 10 months. Among the nominees moving forward is Ronnie Abrams, a nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Abrams was nominated in July 2011. The spot Abrams has been nominated to fill has been vacant since February 2011. read full story

03/15/12 – L.A. attorney confirmed as state’s first openly gay federal judge
The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted 91 to 6 to confirm Los Angeles attorney Michael W. Fitzgerald to a seat on the federal court for Central California, making him the first openly gay federal jurist in the state and one of a few in the nation. The gay community hailed Fitzgerald's confirmation as a milestone for sexual orientation diversity in the federal courts. read full story

03/14/12 – U.S. Senate breaks logjam on federal judicial nominees
There's apparently a deal today in the U.S. Senate that would break a logjam on federal judicial nominees that has stalled several California judges in waiting. Several reports say that top Democrat Harry Reid and GOP leader Mitch McConnell have agreed to allow floor votes by May 7 on 14 of 22 pending nominations -- two a week. read full story

03/14/12 – Judicial nomination languishes nine months without Senate hearing
Rosemary Marquez’s nomination to a judgeship on the backlogged U.S. District Court for Arizona has languished nine months without a hearing, even as other nominees have breezed to confirmation. While Senate Democrats on Wednesday accused administration opponents of stalling judicial nominations because of politics, Arizona Sen. John McCain offered a simpler reason for the delay on Marquez: She is not qualified, an opinion he said he shares with fellow Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl. read full story

03/14/12 – A year into emergency, Arizona federal courts still face ‘dire’ situation
Federal courts in Arizona are still in “dire circumstances” as an emergency declaration that was supposed to help judges keep pace with a crushing caseload is set to expire. The judicial emergency more than doubled the time allowed for the government to bring a case to trial, giving the court some relief from a rising caseload and judicial vacancies in the district. read full story

03/14/12 – Judgeship nominee defends work in Agriprocessors cases
Federal judge nominee Stephanie Rose stressed Wednesday that she wasn’t the lead decision-maker in the Postville immigration raid case, an unprecedented and controversial mass prosecution. Rose said she was the deputy criminal chief in the prosecutor’s office, but there were others above her in the chain of command, including Matt Dummermuth, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa at the time. read full story

03/14/12 – Cape Elizabeth trial lawyer on way to federal circuit court judgeship
A nationally known trial lawyer from Cape Elizabeth on Wednesday cleared the first hurdle toward a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, which is based in Boston. William Kayatta Jr., 58, underwent a confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He now faces approval by the committee and the full Senate. Dates have yet to be set for those actions. read full story

03/14/12 – Senate deal may pave the way for New Orleans judicial pick Susie Morgan
New Orleans attorney Susie Morgan, nominated in June by President Barack Obama for a district court judgeship, is finally going to get a confirmation vote by the Senate. The breakthrough came when Senate Democratic and Republican leaders agreed Wednesday to vote on 14 stalled nominations, including Morgan's, by May 7. read full story

03/14/12 – Reid Forces McConnell To Compromise On Judges
Now, let’s be clear, this is not a perfect deal. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever why every judge who has cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee could not be confirmed today — and there is certainly no reason why judges who received little if any opposition in committee need to wait as long as May 7. It’s also inexcusable that one of President Obama’s most outstanding nominees, Ninth Circuit nominee Paul Watford, is not on the list of judges being confirmed (a list of the judges is below the jump). Nevertheless, today’s deal is a massive improvement over the status quo. read full story

03/14/12 – Senate Deal Allows Confirmation Votes for 14 Judicial Nominees
After months of backlog and partisan recrimination, Senate leaders reached an agreement to move forward with judicial nominees this afternoon that assures 12 federal district court judge picks and two circuit court selections will get confirmation votes before the summer. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kent.) struck the deal amid a threat from some Republicans to filibuster judges as a response to President Barack Obama’s controversial recess appointments to consumer and labor agencies two months ago. read full story

03/14/12 – Reno lawyer will get confirmation vote as U.S. Senate leaders drop standoff on judges, jobs bill
Reid spokeswoman Kristen Orthman said Du is scheduled to be the sixth of the 14 noncontroversial nominees who will be voted on for confirmation. She said the vote will take place the week of March 26. In a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Reid spoke about Du. “Miranda Du is a very well-known lawyer in Nevada, but the intersting thing about this good woman is she is representative of the true American success story,” Reid said. read full story

03/14/12 – Judicial nomination showdown postponed
A Senate Democratic aide provides some details of the deal: They have agreed to bring up 14 of the 17 judges by May 7, hoping to vote on an average of two per week. Twelve of the nominations are to district courts, two to circuit courts. read full story

03/14/12 – Senate Reaches Deal on 14 Judicial Nominees
After daring Republicans to filibuster 17 judicial nominees in a row, Senate Democratic leaders said today they have gotten a commitment from GOP leaders to vote on 14 judicial nominations between now and May 7.  “The agreement is to do about two to three a week between now and then for the weeks that we are in [session],” said a Democratic leadership aide. read full story

03/14/12 – Reid, McConnell Announce Deal on Judges
Senate leaders have reached an agreement on judicial nominations, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Wednesday.  The agreement will allow the Senate “to handle judicial nominations and move forward,” McConnell said. read full story

03/14/12 – Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell strike deal on judges
The top Democrat and Republican in the Senate struck a deal Wednesday that averts a nasty floor fight over judges and allows the chamber to quickly take up a small business jobs bill next. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced the agreement on the floor but said they wouldn’t provide any details until they briefed their respective caucuses later in the afternoon. However, aides said the deal will allow Democrats to move 12 district court judges and 2 circuit court judges by May 7. read full story

03/14/12 – Reid, McConnell Make Deal on Judicial Confirmations, JOBS Act
It looks like Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans have backed down on their obstruction of judicial confirmations. But it’s a little unclear at the moment. What we know is that McConnell and Harry Reid reached a deal that will allow the judges to get a vote. However, the JOBS Act, the financial market IPO deregulation bill which McConnell sought prior to the judicial issues, will get a vote first, rather than the sequencing Reid set up previously. McConnell claims there will be no need for cloture votes on the judicial nominations, after the JOBS Act passes. read full story

03/13/12 – White House presses GOP to stop blocking judges
Ruemmler also rejected suggestions that the White House's sluggishness in filling judicial vacancies undercuts her argument for the urgency of confirming the president's current nominees. "Let's confirm the 39 who are up there on the Hill. They do their job and we'll get the other....40-plus nominated," Ruemmler said. "That's an absurd argument, obviously....They have to confirm people who are up there waiting to be confirmed before it does us any good to nominate another 30 people who then sit in the Senate Judiciary Committee and then sit on the floor for another 150 to 200 days." read full story

03/13/12 – GOP seeks to counter Reid, White House push on judges
Reid’s maneuver and the White House’s renewed push for the nominees are aimed at filling empty seats in the judiciary branch and portraying the GOP as obstructionists this election year. Democrats said the nominees are not controversial, and McConnell acknowledged Tuesday that Republicans will approve most of them in due time. But the Kentucky legislator said the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, which passed the House overwhelmingly last week, should come first. He called on Reid to forgo the “manufactured crisis” over the 17 judges. read full story

03/13/12 – Lee may vote against Utah judicial nominee
Sen. Mike Lee hinted Tuesday he might vote against a judicial nominee from his own state — a nominee that he supports — out of frustration with Majority Leader Harry Reid’s move to force confirmation votes on a series of federal court hopefuls.  Lee has waged a lonely war against all of President Barack Obama’s federal nominees after the White House used a controversial recess appointment to install the head of a new consumer-watchdog agency while the Senate was technically in session. read full story

03/13/12 – Senate GOP Upset by Harry Reid’s Nominations Tactic
Senate Republicans are fuming over a move by Senate Democrats to force cloture votes on 17 noncontroversial District Court nominees, a maneuver the GOP contends threatens to take the Senate’s focus away from job creation and helping bring down gas prices.  “This is a needless exercise and a waste of the Senate’s time because I assume these 17 people already have a job,” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said. “What we’re worried about is all the people who don’t currently have a job who might in some way benefit from a jobs package that we are by and large in agreement on.” read full story

03/13/12 – McConnell: I’m Filibustering Seventeen Judges Because Reid Made Republicans ‘Look Bad’
Senator Reid wanted to vote on the seventeen judges awaiting confirmation before moving on to the IPO bill, but he even concedes this point — saying that he is willing to “go to this IPO bill” first as McConnell prefers.  And then McConnell says this deal is unacceptable because Reid “ma[de] the minority look bad.” read full story

03/13/12 – Math, Senate Style
For most of the Senate’s postwar history, nominees for vacancies on the district court have been immune from the ever-rising partisan heat over advice and consent for judicial nominations. No longer. Some recent Senates have shown only a bare difference in confirmation rates between appellate and trial court nominees. read full story

03/13/12 – Democrats want Senate action on judges before considering Republican jobs bill
Senate GOP leaders attacked their Democratic counterparts on Tuesday for scheduling action on judicial nominees instead of acting this week on a jobs bill. But the White House came out in strong support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) decision to invoke cloture to break a Republican filibuster to confirm the 17 court nominees. "Republicans have used every confirmation tactic available to them to slow the confirmation process down to a halt," White House Counsel Kathy Ruemmler said Tuesday on a conference call. read full story

03/13/12 – Senate Democrats Battle Over Court Nominees
Faced with persistent GOP opposition to President Obama's appointments, Majority Leader Harry Reid plans this week to press the point by bringing 17 judicial nominees to the floor. (NPR/All Things Considered) read full story

03/13/12 – Confirmation of Thomas Porteous’ replacement, other judicial nominees urged
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is moving forward with votes on 17 stalled judicial nominees, including attorney Susie Morgan for the New Orleans District Court seat previously held by former Judge Thomas Porteous, who was removed by the Senate in December 2010 for judicial misconduct. Morgan, an attorney with the New Orleans firm of Phelps Dunbar LLP, was nominated by President Barack Obama in June, 2011, and was approved unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee in November. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., recommended her nomination to the president and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., endorsed her candidacy. Her nomination poses a dilemma for Vitter who has supported a GOP filibuster of Obama nominations to protest recent recess appointments by the president that Vitter and other GOP senators insist weren't proper. read full story

03/13/12 – Sen. Alexander calls on Reid, McConnell to reach judicial nominations deal
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday morning called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to settle a new dispute over how to allow votes for 17 U.S. district judges, and said he was disappointed that Reid decided to file for cloture on these judges Monday. “I’m here today simply as one senator, to say respectfully to the majority leader, I hope he will reconsider and not do that,” Alexander said on the Senate floor. read full story

03/13/12 – McConnell, Reid spar over judges
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell hit back Tuesday in the fight over judicial nominations, accusing Majority Leader Harry Reid of “manufacturing a controversy” rather than addressing high unemployment and gas prices. read full story

03/13/12 – Reid, McConnell lock horns over legislative agenda in Senate
Senate leaders Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) squabbled Tuesday on the Senate floor over the legislative agenda for the upper chamber once work is complete on the pending highway bill. Minority Leader McConnell insisted that Majority Leader Reid agree to put aside a series of time-consuming votes on 17 of President Obama’s judicial nominees to turn immediately to the JOBS Act, which the House passed with overwhelming support last month. Reid said it was in fact Republicans who were inventing conflict by preventing the smooth operation of the Senate by blocking votes on the 17 judicial nominees, most of whom enjoy bipartisan support in their home states. read full story

03/12/12 – Reid Seeks Senate Vote on 17 Judicial Nominees, Including Out Gay Nominee Fitzgerald
Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced that he was filing a cloture petition to attempt to force Senate votes on 17 federal trial court judge nominees, including out gay attorney Michael W. Fitzgerald. In addressing the issue, Reid today said on the Senate floor, "One qualified consensus judicial nominee ought to be treated like any other, regardless of political party and regardless of who's president, quite frankly. With our courts already in crisis, the Republicans couldn't have chosen a worse time to play politics with the confirmation process. read full story

03/13/12 – Judicial Nominations Push ‘Strongly’ Supported By White House, Kathryn Ruemmler Says
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) picked up a ringing endorsement from the White House on Tuesday for trying to force Republicans to vote on President Barack Obama's stalled judicial nominees.  "The bottom line is the White House strongly supports Leader Reid's move," White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler said in a conference call with reporters. "The president is demanding the Senate do its job." read full story

03/12/12 – Sen. Lee slams Reid’s ‘political stunt’ on judicial nominees
“Senator Harry Reid’s action is nothing more than a political stunt designed to distract the American people from the Democrats’ legislative failures," said Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) in a statement released while Reid was filing cloture on the 17 nominees. "His sudden interest in judicial nominations is a desperate attempt to draw attention away from his party's failure to address our nation's economic emergencies." read full story

03/12/12 – Senate set for fight on federal judges
Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) filed cloture Monday on 17 nominees to federal judgeships, meaning the Senate could vote as early as Wednesday on whether to proceed to final consideration of their nominations. Fourteen of the 17 nominees were referred to the full Senate unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Reid’s office. read full story

03/12/12 – Harry Reid vows floor fight for judicial nominees
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid went public Monday with a threat he’s been voicing privately for weeks: He’ll take extraordinary procedural steps to confirm stalled judicial nominees even if it ties up the Senate floor. It would be a gamble, diverting the Senate’s focus from unemployment and gas prices, the dominant issues of this election year. But Reid believes Republicans have been out of line in their “obstruction” of nominations that have bipartisan support and that they would be blamed for forcing the Senate to spend time on noncontroversial nominees rather than on the economy. read full story

03/12/12 – Harry Reid Seeks to Move 17 Judicial Nominees
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sought to move 17 pending federal judicial nominees today, declaring the nation’s court system “at the breaking point under a backlog so intense an emergency has been declared.” The Nevada Democrat, who has complained of Republican filibustering over a host of Obama administration nominees, filed procedural motions on each of the 17 pending District Court nominees who earned GOP support in the Judiciary Committee. read full story

03/12/12 – Reid Will File To End Seventeen GOP Filibusters Of President Obama’s Judicial Nominees
From the minute President Obama took office, obstruction of judicial nominees skyrocketed — the average Obama nominee must wait nearly four times as long for a vote as the average nominee at this point in the Bush presidency. read full story

03/12/12 – Reid: GOP blocking judicial confirmation process to embarrass Obama
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) charged Republicans on Monday of gumming up the judicial confirmation process in order to embarrass President Obama, and said he plans to file cloture to force votes on 17 of the outstanding nominees in the near future. read full story

03/12/12 – Santorum: There will be no one Stronger on Judges than I am
Former Senator Rick Santorum (R) says if he is elected, he will take judicial appointments very seriously and he'll "have a litmus test that they should follow the Constitution." read full story

03/12/12 – Reid pushes to break filibusters of 17 judges
Frustrated by what he calls Republican "obstructionism" of President Obama's judicial picks, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday he would force votes this week to break GOP filibusters of 17 district court nominees. Democrats hope the unusual and high profile series of votes will pressure Republicans to clear the judges. If they don't, Democrats say it will reinforce their contention that Republicans are responsible for the congressional dysfunction and gridlock that surveys show voters abhor. read full story

03/12/13 – Judicial Nominees Will Get Senate Vote as Reid Decries Holdup
Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law in Virginia, said Reid’s maneuver contains a risk of tying up Senate floor time. While Republicans don’t want to appear to be too partisan and unyielding, he said they may see little benefit in making a deal with Reid right away to move things along. “The strategy is to drag their feet on confirmations, and they’ve done that pretty well so far,” Tobias said. read full story

03/12/13 – Reid tees up Senate fight to confirm 17 judges
After months of criticism that Republicans are holding up President Obama’s judicial nominees, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid now plans to force back-to-back votes in what could be a political showdown later this week. Reid (D-Nev.) took a highly unusual step Monday of launching the process for Senate approval of 17 judges as soon as Wednesday. Under the Senate’s complex rules, breaking the Republican-led filibuster could take weeks read full story

03/12/12 – Harry Reid Forces Action On Stalled Judicial Nominees
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced Monday that he is moving forward with a package of stalled judicial nominees and effectively dared Republicans to try to stop him. Reid filed a procedural motion that allows the Senate to begin debate on the confirmation of 17 of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees, whose nominations Republicans have held up for months. Some district judge nominees have been stuck in limbo since November, Reid said, and 11 are from "judicial emergency states" where there aren't enough judges to hear the cases piling up. read full story

03/12/13 – Lee blasts Reid on judicial nominations ‘stunt’
After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he would file cloture on 17 judicial nominees, Sen. Mike Lee released the following response: “President Obama and Senate Democrats have had three years to create, promote, and pass a pro-growth, pro-job agenda and they have failed miserably. Such election-year stunts serve only to hide their shameful and embarrassing record.” read full story

03/12/13 – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tries to force vote on judicial nominees, end GOP filibuster
Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said judicial confirmations are not stalled, and called Reid's maneuver "a ploy by the majority leader to build political rhetoric for the president. When the Senate works cooperatively to get things done, and it's rewarded by a political stunt like this, the American people should be concerned." read full story

03/11/12 – Maine on the Hill: Signs favorable for Cape Elizabeth nominee to appeals court
William Kayatta Jr. of Cape Elizabeth, President Obama’s choice to fill Maine’s sole seat on the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, is scheduled to get a hearing Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The fact that Kayatta is receiving a hearing relatively quickly after his Jan. 24 nomination means he just might get a full Senate confirmation vote this year, said one legal expert. read full story

03/09/12 – NRA warns of Obama packing Supreme Court
The National Rifle Association is already jumping into the 2012 election, warning that a Democratic Senate and reelected president could get a shot at changing the political makeup of the Supreme Court and raining a hail of gun fire on the Second Amendment. read full story

03/09/12 – U.S. Senate panel OKs Toledoan’s nomination
Toledo lawyer Jeffrey Helmick's nomination for U.S. District Court was approved Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee on an 11-6 vote and heads to the full Senate for a vote. Mr. Helmick would replace Judge James Carr, who has moved to senior status. read full story

03/09/12 – Harry Reid to push for judges
The Senate’s vote Thursday on the massive transportation bill cleared the way for a move next week by Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to push as many as 17 or so judicial nominees — an effort that could possibly tie up the Senate pretty much all the way to the two-week Easter recess beginning April 2. read full story

03/08/12 – Summary Judgments for March 9: Here We Go Again
"In the old days, anyone with a steady pulse and a law degree could get confirmed to be a district court judge," says Russell Wheeler, a Brookings Institution fellow who studies the judiciary. But those days have changed, says Wheeler, as the current animosity in the judiciary committee demonstrates. read full story

03/08/12 – Senate judiciary panel backs Fitchburg’s Hillman for U.S. District Court seat
After the expiration of a weeklong hold requested by Republican senators, the Senate Judiciary Committee today overwhelmingly approved Magistrate Judge Timothy S. Hillman's nomination as a Worcester-based U.S. District Court judge. read full story

03/08/12 – DeMint to oppose Columbia, S.C., lawyer as federal judge
But in a highly unusual stance for a home-state senator, Sen. Jim DeMint said after the committee vote that he will oppose Mary Geiger Lewis, casting her confirmation in doubt. DeMint, who voted last fall for two Obama judicial choices from South Carolina, said he's now rejecting all of the president's nominees to protest his winter recess appointments of four controversial nominees to avoid GOP opposition. read full story

03/07/12 – Judiciary Committee will consider U.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose’s nomination for the federal bench next week
The Senate Committee on the Judiciary will consider the nomination of U.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose and others to the federal bench March 14, Sen. Tom Harkin’s office announced Wednesday. read full story

03/07/12 – Senate OKs Rice for federal bench
Spokane-based Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Rice’s appointment as a federal judge was confirmed Tuesday by the U.S. Senate. Rice, who teamed with Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Harrington in the prosecution of domestic terrorist Kevin W. Harpham last year, replaces U.S. District Judge Robert Whaley in the Eastern District of Washington. read full story

03/06/12 – Senate approves Rice nomination
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Rice of Spokane was confirmed Tuesday by the U.S. Senate to become the next federal judge in Eastern Washington. Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray said Rice was approved on a 93-4 vote by a Senate that had been slow to approve President Obama's appointees to the bench. read full story

03/06/12 – Senate confirms Phillips for federal bench in KC
The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to confirm U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips for a seat on the federal bench in Kansas City. Voting 95-2, the Senate cleared the way for Phillips to take the oath and begin hearing cases in the Western District of Missouri. read full story

03/05/12 – Visiting judges help wheels of justice spin in Memphis
With federal caseloads growing, a vacant seat on the bench and no relief in sight, local court officials are calling in the cavalry from the north. Under a special Visiting Judges Program, three federal judges from Michigan -- one of the four states in the Sixth Judicial Circuit that includes Tennessee -- have agreed to help ease the local backlog. read full story

03/05/12 – Judicial emergency declared on federal bench in Nevada
"The brunt of it is going to hit pretty quick unless Congress moves," U.S. District Judge Kent Dawson said. Dawson recently informed Obama of his intention to retire from active service on July 9, although he plans to continue hearing cases as a senior judge. Barring confirmations for the two existing nominees before then, that would create a third vacancy on the U.S. District Court bench in Nevada. read full story

03/03/12 – GOP puts hold on Hillman’s nomination
In what has become a routine action in the U.S. Senate, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have placed a so-called “hold” on Magistrate Judge Timothy S. Hillman’s nomination to be a Worcester-based U.S. District Court judge. Both Massachusetts senators — Democrat John Kerry and Republican Scott Brown — have expressed strong support for Judge Hillman’s nomination. read full story

03/01/12 – Richard Taranto: Next Federal Circuit Judge
There do not appear to be any roadblocks in the way of Mr. Taranto's confirmation and we can expect that he will be joining Chief Judge Rader and his colleagues in short order. read full story

03/01/12 – Hurwitz’ Circuit Nomination Moves to Full Senate
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 to approve the nomination of Andrew Hurwitz, vice chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, to a post on the 9^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.  He still must run the gauntlet of the full Senate for confirmation.  And the closer the November election the tougher that gets. read full story

03/01/12 – Senate panel OKs Arizona justice for post on U.S. Court of Appeals
Andrew Hurwitz, vice chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, was approved Thursday on a 13-5 vote of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee as a candidate for a vacancy on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.  His appointment still must be approved by the full Senate. read full story

03/01/12 – Arizona Supreme Court justice moves closer to federal judgeship
The Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Hurwitz’s nomination to a federal appeals court Thursday, brushing aside concerns over his 2002 law review article on the Roe v. Wade abortion-rights ruling. Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, who supported the nomination, said Thursday that the committee’s “overwhelming vote . . . will help to ensure that he (Hurwitz) will come up on the Senate floor in a timely fashion.” read full story

03/01/12 – W.Va. judge could be confirmed to federal court next week
Carl Tobias, the Williams Professor of Law at University of Richmond's law school, said it is possible Groh, who currently serves on the Twenty-Third Judicial Circuit, could be up for a vote Monday. According to a list of nominations pending on the Senate calendar, as published by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, Tuesday, Groh's is the first name listed. read full story

03/01/12 – Nassau judge Brian Davis tapped for federal bench
Circuit Judge Brian Davis, who presides in Nassau County, was nominated Wednesday by President Barack Obama to be a U.S. district judge in Florida’s Middle District.  A White House release said Davis and another nominee for a judgeship in Oklahoma “will be distinguished public servants and valuable additions” to the federal courts. read full story

03/01/12 – Tulsa lawyer John Dowdell gets nod for Oklahoma’s Northern District judge post

read full story

03/01/12 – Davis nominated for U.S. District Court
Fourth Judicial Circuit Judge Brian Davis was nominated Wednesday by President Barack Obama to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Davis was named in August as one of four finalists for the district seat. read full story

03/01/12 – Judicial gridlock may be Round 2 in culture war
The price of gasoline is skyrocketing and the economy is still struggling, but the Senate may soon lurch into another offshoot of the culture wars: judicial nominations.  It’s a fight Democrats are eager to have — even as they blame Republicans for focusing too much on social issues. read full story

2/29/12 – Judicial group opposes Ninth Circuit nominee
A group aimed at "judicial renewal" is opposing U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit nominee Andrew David Hurwitz. Judicial Action Group claims Hurwitz was the architect of the legal arguments eventually used by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade and says every senator "who takes pride in their pro-life voting record" must vote against Hurwitz. read full story

2/29/12 – President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the US District Court
President Obama nominated Judge Brian J. Davis and John E. Dowdell to serve on the United States District Court. “I am honored to put forward these highly qualified candidates for the federal bench,” President Obama said. “They will be distinguished public servants and valuable additions to the United States District Court.” read full story

2/29/12 – Federal Circuit Nominee Faces Tough Questions During Senate Hearing
D.C. lawyer Richard Taranto handled some tough questioning during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday over his views on the Defense of Marriage Act and whistleblower litigation. Taranto, a name partner at Farr & Taranto, ducked many of the questions on those topics, saying it would be unfair to litigants in future cases who might sense they have an advantage. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said those issues would be likely to come up in the Federal Circuit, which hears patent and trademark disputes, international trade matters and veteran claims cases. read full story

2/28/12 – Senate Obstruction Leaves Our Courts in Crisis
With more than 100 vacancies in American courts, cases are becoming backlogged and sitting judges are being overworked. In fact, a third of those vacancies are causing such a shortage of judges to handle caseload that the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts considers them “judicial emergencies.” That means Americans’ right to a speedy trial is in jeopardy. read full story

2/28/12 – Arkansas judgeship caught in Republicans’ holdup
In the past, consensus choices have been routinely approved. No longer. Leahy said more than a dozen with approval in committee have not come to a vote in the Senate. They include Kris Baker of Little Rock, nominated by President Obama to an opening in the Eastern District of Arkansas. read full story

2/28/12 – Reid outlines heavy workload for coming session
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) warned his colleagues that the Senate has much to accomplish during the 5-week work period which began on Monday. Among the necessary accomplishments he named were the postal reform legislation, a "pressing" cyber security bill as well as a backlog of judicial nominees. read full story

2/28/12 – Schumer: GOP Holding Judicial Branch ‘Hostage’
Senator Chuck Schumer (D, NY) took to the Senate floor today and accused the Republican party of ‘hostage taking’ for opposing certain Judicial Court nominees. He also called it 'unprecedented' that the 'third branch of government' was being held ‘hostage’. read full story

2/27/12 – Southern District of Florida: judicial happenings
Judge Jordan was sworn in on Friday so he can begin working on the 11th Circuit. His formal investiture is coming up. read full story

2/27/12 – Senate Confirms Brodie for Eastern District Bench
Margo Kitsy Brodie, a deputy chief of the Criminal Division in the Eastern District U.S. Attorney's Office, was confirmed 86-2 by the U.S. Senate on Feb. 27 to a slot on the Eastern District bench. The confirmation leaves one open seat at the Eastern District. The White House has yet to announce a nominee. read full story

2/27/12 – Antigua-born judge approved for Brooklyn federal bench
Margo Kitsy Brodie was confirmed Monday as a Brooklyn federal court judge, becoming the first Afro-Caribbean-born jurist to sit in U.S. district court. The U.S. Senate voted 86 to 2 to approve Brodie, who was nominated by the White House in June. read full story

2/23/12 – Arlen Specter challenges Rick Santorum’s account of conversation about endorsement
Former Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter said his former Senate colleague Rick Santorum was wrong when Santorum recounted a conversation they had about judicial nominees during last night’s Republican presidential debate. read full story

2/24/12 – Arlen Specter Refutes Rick Santorum’s Debate Claim About Judicial Nominee Deals: ‘That Is Flatly Not True’
Former Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter (D) appeared on Chuck Todd‘s Daily Rundown Friday morning to clarify his relationship to current GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum. read full story

2/24/12 – Analysis: Obama yet to make a mark on key U.S. court
Barack Obama is close to becoming the first president in at least half a century to finish a full term without making an appointment to a U.S. appeals court, considered second in importance only to the Supreme Court. read full story

2/23/12 – Specter scoffs at Santorum’s endorsement claim
Former Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter said Thursday that Rick Santorum got his facts wrong when he said that he endorsed Specter only after securing a promise that Specter would support GOP Supreme Court nominees. "He is not correct. I made no commitment to him about supporting judges," Specter said. "I made no deal." read full story

2/23/12 – Specter rejects Santorum’s debate claim of deal on Supreme Court nominees
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter rejected Rick Santorum's claim during Wednesday night's presidential debate that he had promised to support former President George W. Bush's nominees to the Supreme Court in exchange for Santorum's endorsement. read full story

2/23/12 – Arlen Specter: Leave Me Out of It
Arlen Specter didn’t watch last night’s GOP debate, but he definitely heard about it. Discussing his endorsement of the former senator, Santorum defended his endorsement by saying that Specter told him in a “conversation” that if Santorum supported him, Specter would vote for President Bush’s judicial nominees in his powerful role on the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

2/23/12 – Despite opposition, Obama-appointee confirmed for N.Y. court
A group that campaigns against judicial activism had a problem with Jesse Furman, the recently confirmed newest judge on a New York City federal court. Judicial Action Group had tried to stop his confirmation, arguing that he is too liberal. read full story

2/23/12 – Biden praises Rhode Island’s senators, says he offered Whitehouse Supreme Court nomination
Addressing more than 200 guests, Biden said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse continued a long tradition of strong Rhode Island senators, who he said have represented the "finest and most consequential" members of the U.S. Senate in recent years. read full story

2/23/12 – Inhofe signs off on federal judicial nominee Dowdell
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe will support a potential nomination of attorney John Dowdell to fill a 2-year-old vacancy on the federal bench in Tulsa, a Senate aide said Wednesday. read full story

2/22/12 – Report: Manchin criticizes Senate for holding up judicial nominations
West Virginia's junior U.S. senator, Joe Manchin, last week criticized the Senate for holding up Berkeley Circuit Judge Gina Groh's federal judgeship. On Friday, Manchin dined with about a hundred fellow Democrats at the Peking Restaurant in Martinsburg. read full story

2/22/12 – So you wanna be a federal judge in Florida?
Pursuant to the instructions set forth in the attached letter from Senator Bill Nelson and Senator Marco Rubio, dated February 16, 2012, the Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission is now accepting applications for the following position U.S. District Judge, Southern District of Florida. read full story

2/21/12 – Wiley Daniel to step down as chief federal judge in Colorado
Wiley Y. Daniel, the first African-American federal judge in Colorado, will step down as the district's chief judge at the end of the year. read full story

2/20/12 – Senate agrees: Idaho needs another federal judge
Senators agreed to encourage Congress to authorize a third federal judgeship for Idaho, saying there's so much court business that existing members of the bench have a tough time keeping up. read full story

2/20/12 – Senate, unlike House, unanimously approves call for 3rd fed judge for Idaho
Idaho's had just two federal district judges since 1954, and the federal court caseload has increased so dramatically that there are now big delays in processing civil cases, since criminal cases are given priority. Other states including Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota already have three federal judges and have smaller populations than Idaho. read full story

2/20/12 – U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra to retire in June
Senators Inouye and Akaka expect a robust and diverse pool of lawyers to apply, and look forward to ultimately receiving a stellar list of outstanding candidates from which they will make their selections, and will forward it to the White House for consideration. read full story

2/20/12 – Search begins to fill Judge Ezra’s seat on federal bench
A nine-member panel will begin screening applicants for a U.S. District Court vacancy that will be created when U.S. District Judge David Ezra retires at end of June, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye's office announced today. read full story

2/20/12 – Colleagues call Rose a good choice for federal bench
“Fairness,” above all else, is the one word judges, prosecutors and even defense attorneys, who have been adversaries of Rose over the years, kept mentioning last week to describe her. They said she is a good choice for the federal bench because she’s extremely intelligent, hardworking, compassionate, humble, open-minded and forthright. read full story

2/19/12 – Roger J. Miner, federal judge
Roger J. Miner, 77, a veteran member of the federal bench who was known for his outspoken criticism of what he viewed as the politicization of the process by which federal judges are chosen, died Feb. 18 at his home in Hudson, N.Y. read full story

2/19/12 – No US district judges named to local court since 2 seniors’ deaths
There have been no U.S. Middle District judges seated in Williamsport since the death of Senior U.S. District Judge Malcolm Muir last summer. Muir was 96 years old when he suffered a stroke while working on Social Security cases in his chambers. He died three days later. In December 2010, Senior Judge James F. McClure, who had battled bone cancer, died at age 79. He, too, was active in the court system. read full story

2/18/12 – Dowdell recommended for federal court vacancy
A new effort to fill a 2-year-old vacancy on the U.S. District Court in Tulsa has hit a snag, adding yet another twist in a saga on naming federal appointees in Oklahoma under President Barack Obama. read full story

2/17/12 – Harry Reid Will Ask Obama To Recess Appoint All Nominees If GOP Delays Continue
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) fired a warning shot to Republicans on Friday: Stop blocking President Barack Obama's executive branch nominees or I'll ask him to bypass the Senate and recess appoint all of them. read full story

2/17/12 – U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin laments Congress is divided
“Gina Groh will be your (federal) judge,” Manchin said, pointing her out. Her appointment to the federal bench is being held up “purely by politics,” he said. Manchin said he and U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., are working hard to get Groh's confirmation through the Senate. read full story

2/16/12 – Furman confirmed as Manhattan federal judge
Jesse Furman was confirmed Friday as a judge for the Southern District of New York by the U.S. Senate, which approved his nomination by a vote of 62-34. read full story

2/17/12 – Federal court to get new judge
The federal trial court for Colorado will be getting a new judge after November's election. A vacancy will occur because Wiley Daniel, chief judge of the U.S. District Court, will switch from full-time status to senior status on Jan. 1. read full story

2/16/12 – President Obama Nominates Jill A. Pryor to Serve on the US Court of Appeals
President Obama nominated Jill A. Pryor to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. “Jill A. Pryor has displayed exceptional dedication to the legal profession through her work and I am honored to nominate her to serve the American people as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals,” President Obama said. "She will be a diligent, judicious and esteemed addition to the Eleventh Circuit bench." read full story

2/16/12 – President Obama Nominates Three to Serve on the US District Court
President Obama nominated Judge Elissa F. Cadish, Judge Paul William Grimm and Judge Mark E. Walker to serve on the United States District Court. “Throughout their careers, these nominees have displayed unwavering commitment to justice and integrity,” said President Obama.  “Their records of public service are distinguished and impressive and I am confident that they will serve the American people well from the United States District Court bench.  I am honored to nominate them today.” read full story

2/15/12 – Senate confirms Cuban-born judge to 11th Circuit
The first Cuban-born judge to serve on the Atlanta-based U.S. appellate court was confirmed Wednesday by an overwhelming margin that said much about the way the Senate operates these days. Despite strong support from both parties, including tea party favorite Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the Senate had to break a filibuster to confirm U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jose Jordan by a 94-5 vote. read full story

2/15/12 – Cloture filed on Furman nomination
Senator Reid filed cloture on the Reid amendment #1633 (Banking/Finance/Commerce, as reported by the Commerce committee, titles). He then filed cloture on the nomination of Jesse Furman, of New York, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York. read full story

2/15/12 – Outlook improving for some judicial nominees
Things are finally looking up for those judicial nominees waiting to be approved, including two from West Virginia. Carl Tobias, the Williams Professor of Law at University of Richmond's law school, said Tuesday that Jordan's cloture vote means good things for other nominees, especially West Virginia attorney Stephanie Thacker. read full story

2/15/12 – Senate confirms Judge Adalberto Jordan to the federal appeals court
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Judge Adalberto Jose Jordan to the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which decides the major federal legal disputes of Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Jordan, of Miami, is the first Cuban-born judge to sit on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.  Jordan was approved 94-5. read full story

2/14/12 – Helmick appointment moves forward
The long-awaited judicial confirmation hearing for U.S. District Judge nominee Jeffrey Helmick of Toledo is set to move ahead. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) announced Tuesday that the nomination of Mr. Helmick for an open judgeship in the Toledo court has been scheduled for consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. read full story

2/14/12 – Carney: “We Can’t Change The Rules Of The Senate” But “We Wish We Could”
White House press secretary Jay Carney shares the administration's wish that they could bypass the Congress to get their judicial agenda through. Last September, Carney told White House reporters "there are things [Obama] can do without Congress, and he will do them." read full story

2/14/12 – Sen. David Vitter votes against cloture for judicial nominee to protest President Obama’s ‘war on the Constitution’
"Sen. Vitter is voting this way on the circuit court nominees to protest the president's recent, completely unconstitutional so-called recess appointments," Vitter spokesman Luke Bolar said. "Those are the latest examples of Obama's enormous overreaching -- his war on the Constitution." read full story

2/13/12 – Leahy: GOP would filibuster biblical character Moses
Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) complained on Monday that Republican filibusters have gotten so common he suspects they would attempt to block confirmation of the biblical figure Moses, who brought the Ten Commandments down from Sinai. read full story

2/13/12 – Justice Served: At last
Happy endings occur. As the Bush administration wound down, David Novak's nomination to the federal bench fell victim to obstructionism. The other day justice was restored as the judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia named him a magistrate judge in their realm. read full story

2/13/12 – Despite Vote, Judicial Nomination On Hold
The Senate has voted 89 to 5 to end a judicial filibuster, but the nomination of Judge Adalberto Jordan to the 11th Circuit federal appeals court is still stuck in limbo. read full story

2/13/12 – Miami federal judge likely to be confirmed, but in messy process
A dispute in the U.S. Senate over President Barack Obama’s executive branch nominees threatens to snag the appointment of the first Cuban-born judge to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. No one has any ideological objections to Jordan, a well-regarded judge who clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. read full story

2/13/12 – Rand Paul Holds Up Senate Action Over Detainees in Egypt
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is delaying the confirmation of Adalberto Jose Jordan to join the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as well as a transportation bill in an effort to force Senate leaders to schedule a vote on his proposal to cut off aid to Egypt until Americans being held there are released. read full story

2/10/12 – Andrews takes formal oath as federal judge
Andrews, 56, was actually sworn in shortly after he was confirmed in November – in a small, private ceremony – so he could be put to work almost immediately on clearing out the court backlogs that developed over the past five years while the U.S. District Court in Delaware was shorthanded. read full story

2/10/12 – Senate stalemate over Obama consumer watchdog stalls Texas judicial nominees
Senate Democrats and liberal groups are putting pressure on the state’s two Republican U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn to break with the Republican opposition and push for a vote on two Texas judicial nominees awaiting confirmation. read full story

2/10/12 – Judicial benches in Texas left sitting empty
A Republican effort to stall President Barack Obama's judicial nominees in the Senate as a protest to the recess appointment of a consumer watchdog has left Texas with five vacancies on federal benches. That could grow to as many as seven vacancies by the end of the year, with pending retirements. read full story

2/10/12 – Hispanic group urges approval of judge
The group Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary is urging members of the U.S. Senate to support the nomination of Adalberto Jose Jordan to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Florida. Jordan was appointed last year by President Barack Obama to fill a seat on the court because of a "judicial emergency" caused by a growing backlog of cases, according to a news release from the Hispanics group. read full story

2/9/12 – Lee continues lonely fight against Obama
Few have been willing to back Lee’s plan to systematically oppose the president’s nomination in committee and on the Senate floor. Republicans have questioned Lee’s political strategy, saying it allows Obama to paint them as obstructionists. And Democrats have done just that, arguing Obama had no choice because Republicans were blocking nominees for political reasons having nothing to do with candidates’ qualifications. read full story

2/9/12 – Democrats Test GOP’s Resolve on Blocking Nominees
“We are still waiting for their response,” the Democratic aide said noting Republicans’ vocal consternation over the appointments. The Democratic aide also said that with approval of this judge, it would be difficult for Republicans to oppose future nominees over the recess appointments. read full story

2/9/12 – Republican Vow of Revenge Falls Short
After President Obama stiff-armed the Senate in January and made four recess appointments, even though the Senate was technically not in recess, some Republicans vowed revenge. They said they would oppose every Obama nominee for the rest of the year, no matter who it was, no matter how bipartisan the support. But from the start, it was clear many Republicans were squeamish about such a blanket tactic, and in their first engagement with the enemy on Thursday, the revenge seekers lost. read full story

2/9/12 – Floor protest over Obama’s recess appointments falters in Senate
Sen. Mike Lee's (R-Utah) effort to block the confirmation of an Obama nominee in retribution for his controversial recess appointments faltered on Thursday when Cathy Bencivengo was confirmed to the District Courts of the Southern District of California by a strong vote of 90-6. read full story

2/9/12 – Schumer: Mike Green got a “bum rap”
Sen. Charles Schumer told News 10NBC on Thursday that former Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green got "a bum rap" in his failed nomination to become a federal judge. Sen. Schumer, said of Green, "There was interference from other levels, shall we say." read full story

2/9/12 – New federal judge confirmed for San Diego
The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Cathy Ann Bencivengo on Thursday to take a seat on the U.S. District Court in San Diego. The vote to approve Bencivengo, who has been serving as a magistrate judge, was 90-6. read full story

2/9/12 – Report: Plan to speed up judicial nominations could be stalled
Democrats are facing a Feb. 29 expiration of the payroll tax break, among other important business items. Senate Democratic leadership aides said because of the deadline, Democrats might have to skip their scheduled Presidents Day recess, which starts next week. That also means plans for speeding up judicial nominations by holding votes before the holiday will most likely be pushed back. read full story

2/9/12 – Charles Schumer recommends Frank Geraci for federal judgeship
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has recommended Monroe County Court Judge Frank Geraci Jr. for a federal judgeship. “Judge Frank Geraci’s first-rate legal mind, steadfast dedication to the professional administration of justice and deep knowledge of Monroe County and western New York make him an ideal nominee for the federal bench in the Western District,” Schumer said in a statement. read full story

2/8/12 – Appeals court nominee Robert E. Bacharach receives top rating from American Bar Association
Robert E. Bacharach, the federal magistrate judge in Oklahoma City who has been nominated for a seat on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, has received the highest rating from the American Bar Association. read full story

2/8/12 – Senate Presidents Day Recess May Be in Jeopardy
With the Feb. 29 expiration of the payroll tax break bearing down and other business to get through, Senate Democrats could skip their scheduled Presidents Day recess, which is set to begin Feb. 17. Senate Democratic leadership aides said no decisions have been made on the matter. read full story

2/7/12 – Democrats Will Try to Smoke Out GOP on Nominations
Looking to test Republicans’ resolve to block nominations, Senate Democrats are planning to hold votes on judicial and administration picks before the Presidents Day holiday. read full story

2/7/12 – Judge in Rajaratnam Insider Trading Trial Is Leaving the Bench
Richard J. Holwell, the federal judge in Manhattan who presided over the insider trading case of the hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam, is stepping down from the bench to set up his own law firm. He said that while in many ways being a judge was the best job that lawyer could possibly have, there were some downsides. read full story

2/6/12 – Obama could alter stance of federal appeals courts
Despite his slow start in nominating judges and Republican delays in Senate confirmations, Obama has still managed to alter the balance of power on four of the nation's 13 circuit courts of appeals. Given a second term, Obama could have the chance to install Democratic majorities on several others. read full story

2/6/12 – Act with dispatch to ease federal courts’ vacancy burden
Recent attacks on judges and the courts by various candidates for office have at least raised the visibility of the role of the judiciary in American society. Unfortunately, the picture is not a promising one. read full story

2/5/12 – Internal Affairs: Politics be damned — Feinstein opts for a Republican judge
Sen. Dianne Feinstein has chucked partisan politics aside in choosing a potential successor to San Jose U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel. Feinstein has forwarded U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal's name to the White House. Grewal, 40, is a Republican, which may come in handy in a presidential election year, when federal judge nominations tend to grind to a halt in the Senate amid partisan bickering. Senate Republicans may be less inclined to stand in Grewal's way. read full story

2/3/12 – 9th Circuit Court nomination hits GOP snag
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he objected to Watford's representation of plaintiffs challenging Arizona's immigration law, which allows police to demand identification from people they detain and suspect of being illegal immigrants. Although Watford told the committee he was only representing a client, he gave a speech in 2010 arguing that the Arizona law was unconstitutional, Grassley said. read full story

2/2/12 – GOP Senators Pressure Reid Over WH Recess Picks
In an effort to put pressure on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid over four controversial recess appointments, Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah) and 33 other GOP Senators today asked the Nevada Democrat to square his previous opposition with his current stance that the appointments are constitutional. read full story

2/2/12 – Senators join suits on recess appointments
Republican senators said this week they will file papers supporting lawsuits trying to overturn President Obama’s recess appointments and demanding that the Senate’s top Democrat explain his own change of heart on the constitutional questions raised by the president’s move. read full story

2/2/12 – Hartford Lawyer Michael P. Shea Nominated For Federal Judgeship
President Obama late Thursday nominated Hartford lawyer Michael P. Shea for a federal judgeship in Connecticut. Shea is chairman of the appellate practice group at Day Pitney, an East Coast law firm with offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Washington. In addition, he has represented companies involved in a variety of commercial and criminal disputes, as well as municipalities. read full story

2/2/02 – President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the US District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Stephanie Marie Rose and Michael P. Shea to serve on the United States District Court. "These individuals have demonstrated the talent, expertise, and fair-mindedness Americans expect and deserve from their judicial system," said President Obama. "I am grateful for their willingness to serve and confident that they will apply the law with the utmost impartiality and integrity." read full story

2/1/12 – Sen. Mike Lee Vows To Block Obama’s Nominees, Uses PAC To Raise Money Off Effort
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) insists it is the Constitution, not politics, driving his vow to unilaterally block all of President Barack Obama's nominees submitted to the Senate. But it turns out Lee's political action committee is also raising money off of his effort. read full story

1/30/12 – Law professor doubts Senate will speed up nominations
A University of Richmond law professor says he doubts the U.S. Senate will go along with a plan by President Barack Obama to speed up judicial appointments. "President George W. Bush and a number of senators have offered similar proposals in the past. However, partisanship has kept them from being adopted," he said. read full story

1/29/12 – Maine on the Hill: Jon Hinck says former courtroom rival a good choice for federal bench
"I have had the opportunity to see Mr. Kayatta in court and handling complex litigation matters," Hinck said. "He demonstrates a well-honed understanding of that law that certainly qualifies him for this appointment." Hinck said he may have lost that case to Kayatta, but believes the litigation was responsible for Maine's adoption of policies more strictly regulating the additive. read full story

1/28/12 – Obama takes aim at Sen. Mike Lee in nominee fight
President Barack Obama used his weekly address Saturday to rip Congress for blocking his nominees, focusing his ire on Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. "One senator gumming up the whole works for the entire country is certainly not what our founding fathers envisioned," Obama said, not specifically identifying Lee but leaving no doubt which senator he meant to single out. read full story

1/28/12 – GOP senator responds to Obama’s criticism of blocking confirmations
Facing criticism in President Obama’s weekly address over his pledge to block nominees, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) responded Saturday that he was adhering to the Constitution. “Sadly, the President has sought to make this a partisan issue; but the Constitution is not partisan. The Constitution does not allow any president, Republican or Democrat, to circumvent the Senate in making appointments, and I will resist, just as vigorously, members of my own party who would attempt to do the same thing,” Lee said in a statement. read full story

1/26/12 – Republicans May Impede Some Judges After Recess Appointments
Senate Republicans are weighing a plan to block most of President Barack Obama’s appellate-court nominations starting in June or earlier in response to the recess appointments he made this month. read full story

1/26/12 – Obama, senators at odds over picks
The White House and Georgia's U.S. senators may agree that Atlanta lawyers Jill A. Pryor and Mark H. Cohen should be federal judges—but they apparently differ on which lawyer should fill an opening at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and which one should serve on Atlanta's U.S. District Court. read full story

1/26/12 – Senate GOP Not United on Nominations
Despite significant deliberation, Senate Republicans are wrestling with how to devise a united response to President Barack Obama’s controversial recess appointments earlier this month. Some Senators appear to be concerned that further blockades of nominees could give the president more ammunition for his narrative about GOP obstruction creating a do-nothing Congress. read full story

1/26/12 – Lee vows to block Obama nominees
Fuming over President Barack Obama’s four recess appointments, freshman Sen. Mike Lee signaled on Thursday he’ll go it alone and try to block the president’s nominations this year, even as many other GOP senators worry that going nuclear is a bad political tactic. read full story

1/26/12 – With GOP Divided on Recess Appointments, Some Strike Out on Their Own
As Senate Republicans struggle to craft a collective response to President Obama's recent controversial recess appointments, some are striking out on their own. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., announced he will boycott Tuesday's Banking Committee hearing with Cordray, the appointee's first appearance before a Senate panel. Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a former Supreme Court clerk, called the president's appointments "deeply flawed" and said he will throw up road blocks for future nominees "unless and until (Obama) rescinds his unconstitutional recess appointments." read full story

1/26/12 – Politics may complicate federal court pick
It's hard to say when north Mississippi federal courts will get a replacement for District Judge W. Allen Pepper Jr. Pepper, 70, of Cleveland died suddenly Tuesday of a heart attack. read full story

1/26/12 – Senators Shy From Obama Filibuster Reform
President Barack Obama’s call for a sweeping overhaul of Congressional ethics and procedure has little chance of becoming reality in an institution adverse to change and built to benefit from its rules. “It seems so obvious and clear until you get into it, then you find that getting the necessary votes together [to change the rules] and holding them through this process is more difficult,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), before noting his understanding of why Obama would want to pursue it. read full story

1/26/12 – Two women wait to break judicial nomination logjam
Yet another one of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's federal nominees isn't moving forward, at least for now. But the postponement of Las Vegas attorney Ariel Stern's nomination to be a federal judge has opened the door for another candidate. read full story

1/25/12 – Obama Calls for Quicker Judicial Nominee Votes, Mortgage Crisis Unit; Four Justices Skip Speech
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. stayed away from the State of the Union speech for the second year in a row after his well-publicized reaction to the 2010 speech. Alito was one of four justices who did not attend on Tuesday evening. The other justices who missed the event were Sonia Sotomayor, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. read full story

1/25/12 – Senators send White House names for judicial vacancies
Trying to solve a judicial logjam, Georgia’s two senators have told President Barack Obama who they’ll allow to be considered as nominees for three longstanding vacancies on the federal courts in Atlanta.The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has declared the vacancies “emergencies.” read full story

1/25/12 – Nelson, Johanns rose above the fray with confirmation of federal judge
When they learned of Judge Richard Kopf's intention to retire, Sens. Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns had a choice to make. They could have treated the judicial vacancy like a political piñata. To their credit, they did not do so. read full story

1/25/12 – Reid supports rules change to eliminate filibuster of nominees
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday night endorsed President Obama’s State of the Union call to change Senate rules to ensure up-or-down votes on judicial and executive-branch nominees, but drawing the line at guaranteeing all Supreme Court nominees simple majority votes for lifetime appointments. read full story

1/24/12 – Obama nominates appeals judge
President Obama has nominated William Kayatta Jr. of Cape Elizabeth to fill Maine's seat on the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, the White House announced Monday. Kayatta, 58, is a nationally prominent trial attorney and a partner in the Pierce Atwood law firm in Portland. He was one of two people whom Maine lawmakers recommended to Obama in late May. It took the White House nearly eight months to make the nomination. If confirmed by the Senate, Kayatta would replace Judge Kermit Lipez, who has served in Maine's seat on the appellate court since 1998. Lipez shifted to "senior," semi-retired status Dec. 31 but has said he will carry a full caseload until September. read full story

1/24/12 – Oklahoma judge nominated for 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
President Barack Obama on Monday nominated U.S. Magistrate Robert Bacharach of Oklahoma's Western District to fill a vacancy on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. U.S. Rep. Dan Boren immediately expressed support for the nomination to the Denver-based federal appeals court. "Judge Bacharach is a dedicated public servant who will serve the people of the 10th Circuit with distinction," the Oklahoma Democrat said. "He will bring a wealth of experience to the position. I look forward to a speedy confirmation." read full story

1/24/12 – Magistrate Judge Robert E. Bacharach nominated for federal appeals court
President Barack Obama on Monday nominated Robert E. Bacharach, a federal magistrate judge in Oklahoma City, for a position on the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, ending for now a long-running White House effort to replace Robert H. Henry on the Denver-based court. Bacharach, a Mississippi native, has been a U.S. magistrate judge since 1999 for the Western District of Oklahoma and has handled nearly 3,000 criminal and civil matters, according to the White House. read full story

1/23/12 – President Obama Nominates Judge Michael A. Shipp to Serve on the US District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Michael A. Shipp to serve on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. “I am proud to nominate this outstanding candidate to serve on the United States District Court bench,” said President Obama. “Judge Shipp has a long and distinguished record of service, and I am confident he will serve on the federal bench with distinction.” read full story

1/23/12 – President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the US Court of Appeals
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Robert E. Bacharach and Mr. William J. Kayatta, Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals. “I am proud to nominate these outstanding candidates to serve on the United States Court of Appeals,” said President Obama. “I am confident Judge Robert E. Bacharach and William J. Kayatta will serve the American people with integrity and distinction.” read full story

1/24/12 – Judge Confirmed as Republicans Object to Obama Nominations
The U.S. Senate’s confirmation of a federal judge may be one of the last of President Barack Obama’s nominees cleared as Republicans consider whether to retaliate against his recess appointments. read full story

1/23/12 – Obama nominates Paterson native for federal judgeship
Michael A. Shipp, a Paterson native and a federal magistrate in Newark, was nominated for promotion by President Obama on Monday to be a U.S. District Court judge. Obama said in a statement that Shipp was an “outstanding candidate” with “a long and distinguished record.” After earning his law degree from Seton Hall University in 1994, Shipp worked as a clerk on the state Supreme Court, for a Newark law firm and in the state Attorney General’s Office before being confirmed in 2007 as a magistrate, a position that primarily involves handling pleas and proceedings. The nomination now heads to the U.S. Senate. read full story

1/23/12 – District Court Nominee Opposed by Sessions Because of Judicial Activism
On May 2, 2007, Judge John Gerrard of the Nebraska Supreme Court authored an opinion on capital punishment six days before the date of an execution of an inmate named Carey Dean Moore. The opinion by Judge John Gerrard demonstrates reason for very serious concern about whether Gerrard lets an agenda influence his judicial rulings. Gerrard wrote an unprecedented opinion intervening in the matter, when the inmate didn’t actually request a stay of his execution in 2007. read full story

1/23/12 – Law professor: Groh, Thacker nominations ‘up in the air’
A University of Richmond law school professor says Berkeley Circuit Judge Gina Groh and West Virginia attorney Stephanie Thacker's nominations are "up in the air" following a controversial decision by President Barack Obama earlier this month. read full story

1/20/12 – Senate Judiciary Committee schedules nomination hearing for Kristine Baker
The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on the nomination of Kristine Baker of Little Rock to an eastern district federal judgeship the afternoon of Jan. 26. Can President Obama sneak another appointee through from Arkansas before the election year is out? read full story

1/20/12 – Nourse asks Obama to withdraw her nomination to federal appeals court
University of Wisconsin law professor Victoria Nourse has asked President Barack Obama to withdraw his nomination of her to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Nourse wrote to a UW colleague: The highest calling anyone could have is to serve their nation; I have served under two Presidents, one Democratic, the other Republican. I am honored to have been asked to serve my nation again. I have nothing else to say at this time, except to refer you to the letter sent by legal experts across the nation, among them many conservatives, supporting my nomination and objecting to the procedure that has been used to block it. To quote Chief Justice Roberts, 'the system is broken.' read full story

1/20/12 – UW professor withdraws from federal appeals court appointment
UW law professor Victoria Nourse tells WisPolitics.com that she has withdrawn her name from consideration for an appointment to the 7th District Court of Appeals. The president originally nominated Nourse to the post to replace Judge Terence Evans in July 2010. But the Senate failed to act on Nourse’s nomination that year and in 2011 as well, and it was sent back to the White House in December. read full story

1/19/12 – Democratic Senate Approves Fewer Obama Nominees than it Did Bush Choices
What good is a Democratic majority if it does a worse job of confirming your nominees than your Republican predecessor? This question has probably crossed the mind of President Barack Obama as he has watched nominee after nominee of his not get approved by the Senate, even though Democrats are in charge. read full story

1/18/12 – 5th Circuit Judge Emilio Garza to take senior status
President Barack Obama has another opportunity to nominate a Texan for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals now that Judge Emilio Garza has announced he will take senior status as of Aug. 1. Garza, nominated by then-President George H.W. Bush, has served on the 5th Circuit since 1991. He did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Kyle Boudreau, a 5th Circuit spokesman, says Garza sent a letter to the White House on Jan. 1 notifying Obama of his plan to take senior status. read full story

1/17/12 – Super PACs Having Negative Impact, Say Voters Aware of ‘Citizens United’ Ruling
54% of registered voters say they have heard about the 2010 Supreme Court decision that allows corporations and individuals to spend as much money as they want on political advertising as long as it is not coordinated with candidate campaigns. Fully 65% of those who are aware of the new rules on independent expenditures say they are having a negative effect on the 2012 presidential campaign. read full story

1/17/12 – Opinion: Time for up-or-down votes in Senate on appointees
An incredibly partisan nomination process — focused on exploiting loopholes in the Senate rulebook — was not what the Founders meant by “advise and consent.” Writing in the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton hoped that when reviewing presidential appointees, the Senate would avoid conflicts of interest — and never reject a nominee “where there were not special and strong reasons for the refusal.” read full story

1/13/12 – Menendez Drops His Opposition to Obama’s Pick for a Federal Appeals Court
Reversing himself in what had become an awkward intraparty stalemate for Democrats, Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey said Friday that he would no longer block President Obama’s nominee to a federal appeals court. read full story

1/13/12 – Bob Menendez to Meet With Judicial Nominee He Blocked
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) plans to meet again with a judicial nominee he has been blocking, after news reports have called into question his reason for holding up the nomination. read full story

1/13/12 – At Three-Year Mark, Obama Lags Behind Bush in Judicial Nominations, Study Finds
Obama has nominated 133 individuals for district court judgeships and 37 for appellate seats. Bush tapped 165 individuals for district seats and 49 for circuit seats during the first three years of his presidency. But Obama seems to be picking up his pace. Of his total number, 137 Obama’s nominations came after the first year of his administration. read full story

1/13/12 – Judicial Vacancies Rising Under Obama, Study Says
Federal trial court vacancies are going up under President Obama, even as caseloads are rising. A Brookings Institution report released Friday shows that this is the first time in memory that a president three years into his first term has seen judicial vacancies rise. The report shows that Obama has been slower to nominate trial judges, the Senate slower to confirm them, and at the same time a larger number of judges are retiring. read full story

1/13/12 – Obama’s Judicial Nomination Scorecard: Three Years In
The Brookings Institution’s Russell Wheeler, the judicial nomination tracker-in-chief, has the latest progress report on President Obama. read full story

1/13/12 – U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez right to meet with blocked judge
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez agreed yesterday to meet again with U.S. Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz, a welcome sign that he may back down from his confrontation with the Obama administration over her nomination. read full story

1/12/12 – D.C. and Maryland Judges to Speak on Judicial Selection Process
A group of judges from courts in the District and Maryland are scheduled to speak at a series of forums this year on judicial selection: “Our approach to this really is to cover a broader diversity of judicial panels,” Barber said, noting that the panels will include judges from U.S. Tax Court, military courts and other positions “beyond just the state judiciary and the federal judiciary.” read full story

1/12/12 – Obama Nominees Cool Heels as Divided Senate Stalls on Confirmation Votes
Even though Obama’s Democratic Party controls the Senate, only 57 percent of his 2011 nominees were approved, according to congressional statistics, compared with 67 percent of those Bush put up for confirmation from 2007 through 2009, when Democrats also controlled the Senate. Democrats don’t have enough seats to stop a Republican filibuster, and the threat keeps them from putting the picks up for a vote. read full story

1/10/12 – Grassley Says Delaying Confirmations an Option After Cordray Recess Naming
Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said today he prefers first seeking some Senate Democrats to join in a public pushback to Obama’s four recess appointments Jan. 4, including the installation of Richard Cordray as the new director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Short of that, Grassley said, Republicans may have to go it alone with tough actions that could include holding up pending nominations from a Senate confirmation vote. read full story

1/10/12 – Senate Republicans consider blocking future presidential nominations
Sure, standing your ground on pro forma sessions that seek to fulfill the letter of the law regarding Congress being in session, while clearly violating the spirit of it...even to the point that Grassley himself admits it. If you're in session like you say, you shouldn't have to wait for two more weeks of fund-raising (er, vacationing? hibernation? a meditation retreat on Korriban?) to get together about it. read full story

1/10/12 – Chief judge calls on senators to fill remaining vacancies
U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane, chief judge of the District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, told Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey she would like two other court vacancies filled as soon as possible. The Eastern District of Pennsylvania has at least three vacancies. read full story

1/9/12 – Sen. Bob Menendez blocks a qualified candidate for judge to get revenge
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat, is singlehandedly blocking President Obama, also a Democrat, from filling a spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals with a woman who was deemed highly qualified by, oh, everyone else in the world. read full story

1/9/12 – Democrats have in-fighting, too: See Robert Menendez’s stalling of Obama’s judicial nomination
Patty Shwartz got the American Bar Association's highest rating possible. The state's other senator, also a Democrat, has praised the selection. And The NYT quoted Tom Curtin of the lawyers' advisory committee for the United States District Court for New Jersey as saying, "Every lawyer in the world will tell you that she's extraordinarily qualified, a decent person and an excellent judge, and would be an asset to the circuit." So what's the hold-up? read full story

1/9/12 – Menendez, Obama Showdown? Discord Over Third Circuit Nomination
President Barack Obama has probably gotten used to having his judicial nominations blocked by congressional Republicans. When it comes to Third Circuit Court of Appeals' nominee Patty Shwartz, however, President Obama has had to defend himself from a member of his own party. read full story

1/8/12 – Menendez denies opposition to appointment is political payback
Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) said Friday that his decision to block a federal court appointment had nothing to do with the judge's relationship to a federal prosecutor who investigated him in 2006. Menendez is the first Democrat to reject one of President Obama's judicial appointments. He said Judge Patty Shwartz, whom Obama nominated in October, was not qualified to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia. read full story

1/8/12 – Why did Sen. Robert Menendez block nomination of favored N.J. judge?
Like him or not, most people regard U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez as a very smart fellow. He was a boy wonder in Hudson County politics, winning public office at age 19 as an anti-corruption crusader. And in the decades since, his ascent up the political ladder has never stopped. But what was he thinking when he blocked the nomination of Judge Patty Shwartz to the U.S. Court of Appeals? read full story

1/6/12 – Menendez defends blocking of Appeals Court nominee
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez issued a scathing response today to reports that he had held up the nomination of Magistrate Patty Shwartz to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

1/6/12 – Bob Menendez denies judge block reports
Sen. Bob Menendez flatly rejected media reports Friday suggesting that he’s blocking one of President Barack Obama’s appellate court nominees because she’s in a relationship with a federal prosecutor who investigated the senator for corruption during his 2006 campaign.  “It is incredibly disappointing and unfortunate that my real concerns over the suitability of Judge Shwartz to serve a lifetime appointment as circuit court judge have been spun as some petty political vendetta by some of her supporters,” Menendez said in a statement to POLITICO. . read full story

1/6/12 – Sen. Menendez blocking federal judge’s appointment to powerful court of appeals
A federal magistrate judge nominated to the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals is being blocked by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), in a little-known use of senatorial courtesy that could kill the appointment. The move, which has effectively derailed the nomination of U.S. Magistrate Patty Shwartz to the Third Circuit, marks the first time a judicial appointee of President Obama has been held up by a senator from his own party. read full story

1/6/12 – Sen. Menendez questions qualifications of federal magistrate
A rare fight between the president and a senator from his own party continued to escalate today, with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) openly raising questions about the qualifications of judicial nominee proposed by the White House. read full story

1/6/12 – Sen. Menendez defends his vote against Obama judicial appointment
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D.-N.J., said Friday that his decision to block a federal court appointment had nothing to do with the judge's relationship to a federal prosecutor who investigated him in 2006. Menendez is the first Democrat to reject one of President Barack Obama's judicial appointments. He said Judge Patty Shwartz, whom Obama nominated in October, was not qualified to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia. read full story

1/6/12 – Senator Says His Concerns With Nominee Aren’t Personal
Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey denied Friday that he was blocking an Obama administration nominee to a federal judgeship because of a grudge against her longtime companion, who led a corruption investigation of the senator during his tough election fight of 2006. Instead, Mr. Menendez said, he has “substantive” concerns about her knowledge of constitutional issues. read full story

1/6/12 – NJ Senator Takes Rare Step to Block Obama’s Judicial Nomination
New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez has remained mum on why he is blocking the appointment of a popular judge backed by President Barack Obama to the federal appeals court – the first time a Democrat has held up an Obama judicial nomination. read full story

1/5/12 – ABA vets Pryor for seat on 11th Circuit
It appears the White House has landed on Atlanta litigator Jill A. Pryor as its new choice for Georgia's vacant seat on a federal appeals court.  The administration of President Barack Obama has struggled to fill a Georgia-based spot on the 11th Circuit vacated in August 2010 by Judge Stanley F. Birch Jr., who retired. read full story

1/5/12 – In Act of Defiance, Democrat Stalls Obama Choice for Court
Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey is holding up President Obama’s nomination of a judge to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the only time a Democrat has tried to block one of Mr. Obama’s judicial nominees. Mr. Menendez would not comment. But the nominee, Patty Shwartz, has been in a relationship for more than two decades with the head of the public corruption unit for New Jersey’s federal prosecutor. And that unit investigated the senator during his 2006 election fight, an inquiry Mr. Menendez has long contended was politically motivated. read full story

1/2/12 – Oklahoma AUSA’s Federal Judgeship Nomination Returned
The controversial nomination of Oklahoma City Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvo Mikkanen to a federal judgeship appears to be dead. The Senate on Dec. 17 returned Mikkanen's nomination to the White House without action, after it had languished since February.  Mikkanen, a member of the Kiowa tribe, reportedly would have been the only American Indian to hold a federal judgeship if he'd been confirmed.  But his nomination to the federal bench in Tulsa was opposed by Oklahoma Sens. Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn, both Republicans.  There is no indication from press reports that the White House intends to renominate him read full story

1/2/12 – Nominee for federal court seat is in limbo
Nearly two years after Judge James Carr announced his retirement from U.S. District Court in Toledo and nearly eight months after his successor was nominated by President Obama, the federal courthouse on Spielbusch Avenue is still waiting for its newest judge. read full story

1/2/12 – Federal Judicial Nominating Commission accepting applications for Middle District seat
The Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications for the position of U.S. district judge for the Middle District of Florida. read full story

12/27/11 – Short Hills resident’s nomination stirs controversy
Short Hills resident Kevin McNulty was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as U.S. District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey earlier this month. The nomination, announced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) Dec. 16, has recently stirred up controversy. read full story

12/21/11 – Partisan wrangling sinks Obama nominations
As Congress winds down 2011′s final session, unfinished business hampered by partisan politics extends into the new year. The final session was marked by significant challenges to several Obama administration nominees, including one nominee from western New York. read full story

12/27/11 – Federal judicial appointments stalled as Senate takes holiday recess
Relief finally seemed to be in sight for Utah’s federal bench. Balancing a 40 percent reduction in the number of active judgeships for nearly two years, federal judges were optimistic that at last they’d be fully staffed following the recent nominations of David Nuffer and Robert Shelby to become the next members of the Utah’s U.S. District Court. read full story

12/26/11 – Schumer in-law offered judgeship
Sen. Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) brother-in-law was quietly nominated by President Barack Obama to a federal judgeship in New Jersey, even though the state’s senior senator, Frank Lautenberg, was leaning toward other candidates, according to a report Monday. read full story

12/23/11 – Groh, Thacker nominations could see vote in February
A University of Richmond law school professor says it is unlikely that Berkeley Circuit Judge Gina Groh or Charleston attorney Stephanie Thacker's nominations will receive a vote by the U.S. Senate before the end of January. read full story

12/22/11 – White House Laments GOP’s Mikkanen Rejection
The White House is expressing disappointment by a Republican-led senatorial rejection of President Barack Obama’s nomination of Kiowa tribal citizen Arvo Mikkanen to be a federal judge in Tulsa, Oklahoma. read full story

12/21/11 – Michael Green not alone in rejection
Monroe County District Attorney Michael Green's failed nomination to serve as a federal judge in the Western District of New York is a singular case. read full story

12/20/11 – Memphis Judge Fowlkes Appointed To Federal Judgeship
Memphis Criminal Court Judge John Fowlkes was appointed Monday by President Obama to the Federal Bench for Western District, Tennessee. read full story

12/20/11 – California Judicial Nominees Stranded as Senate Recesses for Year Amidst Partisan Rancor
Twenty-one nominees for the federal bench, including three from California, lost their prospects for confirmation this year, after the Senate recessed Saturday without a vote. read full story

12/20/11 – Obama Nominates Fowlkes for Vacancy
The White House nomination of Criminal Court Judge John Fowlkes to be a U.S. District Court judge would return Fowlkes to the building where he once worked as a federal prosecutor. read full story

12/20/11 – Mike Green: Politics foiled nomination
A series of excuses for why Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green shouldn't be confirmed to a federal judgeship originated with local Republicans and were the reason why his nomination was scuttled, Green said Monday. read full story

12/20/11 – State delegation awaits next nomination for Tulsa judgeship
With Arvo Mikkanen's embattled nomination now out of the way, U.S. Rep. Dan Boren expressed hope Monday that another nominee could be put forward to fill the judicial vacancy in Tulsa. read full story

12/20/11 – Mystery surrounds rejection of Mikkanen judicial nomination
On Feb. 2, President Barack Obama nominated Arvo Mikkanen to become a federal judge in Tulsa. On Saturday, the U.S. Senate sent the nomination back to the president. In between, we heard little to nothing from the men most responsible for the nomination getting spiked. read full story

12/19/11 – DA Green Blasts Politics, Process
For the last three years Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green adopted a low-profile while he awaited confirmation for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench as a US District Court Judge in Rochester. read full story

12/19/11 – Mike Green denied judgeship
Monroe County District Attorney Michael Green will not be renominated for a Rochester vacancy on the federal court, White House spokesman Brandon Lepow said Sunday. read full story

12/19/11 – DA Mike Green blames politics for scuttling nomination
District Attorney Mike Green today put the blame for his blocked judicial nomination squarely on Republicans. read full story

12/18/11 – Senators block Oklahoma City federal prosecutor from judge post
Faced with unrelenting — and mostly unexplained — opposition from Oklahoma's senators, the U.S. Senate on Saturday sent back to the White House the nomination of Arvo Mikkanen to be a federal judge in Tulsa. read full story

12/17/11 – Sen. David Vitter, two others vote against judicial nominee
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., cast one of only three no votes last week as the Senate voted 95-3 to approve President Barack Obama's nomination of Alaska Supreme Court Justice Morgan Christen to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Christen was backed by both of Alaska's senators, Democrat Mark Begich and Republican Lisa Murkowski. read full story

12/17/11 – McConnell demands assurances from Obama on recess appointments
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Saturday afternoon blocked more than 50 judicial and executive branch nominees, demanding assurances that President Obama not make recess appointments during Christmas break. read full story

12/17/11 – Republicans block recess appointments
President Barack Obama has been under immense pressure from the left to install Richard Cordray as head of a new consumer watchdog agency as soon as the Senate closes its doors for the holidays. read full story

12/17/11 – Senate sends Green’s judicial nomination back to Obama
Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green will have to wait even longer to find out if he'll become a federal judge. read full story

12/17/11 – Michael Green’s judicial nomination sent back to Obama
The Senate sent the nomination of Monroe County District Attorney Michael Green to serve as a federal district court judge back to the White House today as lawmakers began a monthlong break. read full story

12/17/11 – Senate plans vote on Gerrard
The Senate will vote on whether to confirm John Gerrard as Nebraska's next federal judge as soon as it returns from holiday recess next month. read full story

12/16/11 – Senate confirms Alaska justice to U.S. appeals court
Alaska Supreme Court Justice Morgan Christen won Senate confirmation to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, ending a lengthy congressional standoff to become the second jurist approved for the powerful Western appeals court during the Obama administration. read full story

12/16/11 – Obama judicial nominee Morgan Christen confirmed, at last
Alaska Supreme Court Justice Morgan Christen won confirmation to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, ending a lengthy congressional standoff to become the second jurist approved for the powerful Western appeals court during the Obama administration. read full story

12/16/11 – President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the US District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Judge John Thomas Fowlkes, Jr. and Mr. Kevin McNulty to serve on the United States District Court. read full story

12/16/11 – Senate punts on judicial nominations; Texas vacancies await action
Two federal judicial nominees for Texas will be held over until the next session of Congress and the likelihood of filling a San Antonio judicial vacancy appeared more remote with continued Senate delays on presidential nominees, officials said Friday. read full story

12/16/11 – Obama nominates N.J. attorney for federal bench

A New Jersey attorney with wide-ranging experience as a prosecutor and defense lawyer has been nominated by President Obama to serve on the federal bench. read full story

12/16/11 – Obama nominates Shelby County Criminal Court Judge John Fowlkes to federal bench
Shelby County Criminal Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. was nominated Friday evening by President Barack Obama to be the next federal district judge for the Western District of Tennessee. read full story

12/15/11 – Senate Confirms Obama Nominee to Ninth Circuit
Morgan Christen, an Alaska Supreme Court Justice nominated by President Obama to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, won Senate confirmation on Thursday. read full story

12/15/11 – Senate Confirms Judge Morgan Christen

read full story

12/15/11 – After 202-day delay, Senate confirms judge for appeals court seat
Alaska Supreme Court Justice Morgan Christen won confirmation to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, ending a lengthy congressional standoff to become the second jurist approved for the powerful Western appeals court during the Obama administration. read full story

12/15/11 – Federal magistrate has a shot at appeals court position, sources say
A beleaguered process that repeatedly has failed to put Oklahomans in key federal positions reportedly has produced a potential nominee to fill a year-old vacancy on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

12/12/11 – Senate blocking Xenia native court nominee with filibuster
A Xenia native’s nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court is being held up because of a Senate filibuster. read full story

12/12/11 – Republicans Call Off Truce on Judicial Nominees
Hypocrisy was aptly defined by the French essayist La Rochefoucauld as the homage that vice renders to virtue. Twice last week, Senate Republicans hypocritically paid homage to the principle of executive branch authority by blocking nominations by President Obama to an important federal court and a new consumer protection agency. read full story

12/10/11 – Lag in finding appeals judge replacement may slow system
A blow to Maine's legal prestige and delayed justice in a key federal court. Those are potential consequences of President Barack Obama's failure this year to nominate a replacement for Judge Kermit Lipez, who occupies Maine's sole seat on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

12/8/11 – Michael Green still in limbo on judicial nomination
Monroe County District Attorney Michael Green is still waiting for a Senate confirmation vote, 11 months after President Barack Obama nominated him to a district court judgeship. read full story

12/8/11 – Bar Association Leaders Urge Appointment of Latino Judge
Leaders of five Latino bar associations have called on President Obama and Sen. Dianne Feinstein to give consideration to Latino candidates for U.S. district judge for the Central District of California. read full story

12/8/11 – Scott Skavdahl sworn in as Wyoming’s 8th federal judge
With a raised right hand, Scott Skavdahl took an oath to administer justice and defend the U.S. Constitution. read full story

12/7/11 – NRA sinks key Obama judicial nominee
One of President Obama’s most important judicial nominations has gone down to defeat, thanks in large part to the National Rifle Association. read full story

12/7/11 – GOP filibusters judicial nominee
Senators move to block Caitlin Halligan, President Obama's pick for a seat on the Washington federal appeals court. Republicans cite concerns about her record on gun rights and terrorism detainees. read full story

12/7/11 – Utah’s short-handed federal bench still waiting for reinforcements
Utah is poised to have a full complement of federal judges for the first time in more than two years. Pending Senate approval of two nominees, the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City will be back up to five full-time judges. But those confirmations don't come quickly. read full story

12/7/11 – Dems warn: McConnell will regret these filibusters
The White House and Senate Democrats are issuing a blunt warning to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his fellow Republicans: You live by the filibuster, you’ll die by the filibuster. read full story

12/7/11 – Caitlin Halligan’s Trial: Blocked from a Federal Judgeship for Excessive Spitzerism
Yesterday afternoon, in a move that could have far-reaching consequences for the federal judiciary, Senate Republicans blocked the appointment of Caitlin Halligan to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, branding her as a judicial "activist" unsuited to sit on the country's second-highest court. read full story

12/6/11 – Judicial Wars Flare As Senate Blocks Obama Nominee
Senate Republicans have blocked the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. A Senate majority of 54 voted to break the filibuster, but that number falls short of the 60 votes needed under Senate rules. read full story

12/6/11 – Filibuster by Senate Republicans Blocks Confirmation of Judicial Nominee
Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked confirmation of Caitlin J. Halligan, a prominent New York lawyer, to be a federal appeals court judge, raising the question of whether a political deal to prevent the filibuster of most judicial nominations has broken down. read full story

12/6/11 – GOP filibusters judicial nominee
Senate Republicans on Tuesday filibustered President Barack Obama’s nomination of Caitlin Halligan for the U.S. Court of Appeals, prompting Democrats to denounce the move as setting “a new standard” for confirming judicial nominees. read full story

12/6/11 – Collins, Snowe join GOP filibuster of judicial nominee
Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine joined all but one other Republican today in blocking the nomination of Caitlin Halligan for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. read full story

12/6/11 – Filibuster Tests Senate Agreement on Judicial Nominees
Senate Democrats on Tuesday warned that a GOP-led filibuster of a judicial nominee could threaten future nominees and that the move calls into question a six-year-old bipartisan detente on judicial filibusters. read full story

12/6/11 – Statement by the President on Republican Filibuster of Caitlin Halligan
I am deeply disappointed that a minority of the United States Senate has blocked the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Ms. Halligan has the experience, integrity, and judgment to serve with distinction on this court, and she has broad bipartisan support from the legal and law enforcement communities. But today, her nomination fell victim to the Republican pattern of obstructionism that puts party ahead of country. read full story

12/6/11 – Senate GOP Shoots Down Halligan Nomination
All those hoping for a holiday-season feel-good story, maybe one featuring a rare show of bipartisanship down in the nation’s capital, well, you’ve come to exactly the wrong place. The U.S. Senate was up to its usual tit-for-tat games on Tuesday when it officially determined not to confirm Caitlin Halligan to an open seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. read full story

12/6/11 – Key appeals court nominee faces test vote today
A lawyer President Obama nominated to serve on the appeals court that handles most of the legal challenges to environmental regulations faces a make-or-break procedural vote in the Senate today. read full story

12/6/11 – Senate confirms Kalispell’s Christensen as federal judge, replacing Molloy
ith unanimous approval by the U.S. Senate on Monday, Kalispell attorney Dana Christensen was confirmed as the next U.S. District Court judge for Montana, making him the 17th federal judge in the state's history. read full story

12/6/11 – Kalispell attorney Christensen to replace Molloy as District Judge
The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed Kalispell Attorney Dana L. Christensen to be the next U.S. District Judge for Montana. read full story

12/5/11 – Partisanship blamed for holdup of Ga. bench nominees
Georgia Democrats hoping for confirmation of President Barack Obama's nominees for the federal bench in Atlanta say they're frustrated by the opposition of the state's two U.S. senators to one candidate and their silence on the subject. read full story

12/5/11 – Senate showdown expected Tuesday over D.C. appeals court nominee Caitlin Halligan
A nominee tapped last year by President Obama to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will face a cloture vote in the Senate on Tuesday amid opposition from Republicans in part over her record on gun rights and detainee policy. read full story

12/2/11 – Senators Seek to Force Up-or-Down Vote on D.C. Circuit Nominee
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is pushing his colleagues to stop blocking the nomination of Caitlin Halligan, who has earned the American Bar Association's highest possible rating, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. read full story

12/2/11 – Senate Democrats Pushing Caitlin Halligan For D.C. Circuit
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is advocating for the nomination of Caitlin Halligan for a slot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, calling for a vote to move the stalled nominee forward. read full story

12/2/11 – DC Circuit nominee Halligan headed for vote showdown
Senate majority leader Harry Reid has scheduled a cloture vote next week on the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, setting up a likely showdown on the controversial nominee. read full story

12/1/11 – Key Senate committee approves LA judge for Ninth Circuit
A Los Angeles judge who fled Saigon with her family at the end of the Vietnam war is one step closer to becoming a member of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Senate Judiciary Committee gave a unanimous thumbs up Thursday to the nomination of Jacqueline Nguyen. read full story

12/1/11 – Obama nominates Judge Hillman
Magistrate Judge Timothy S. Hillman has been nominated by President Barack Obama to become the next federal judge in Worcester. read full story

11/30/11 – U.S. magistrate nominated for federal judgeship
Robin S. Rosenbaum, a federal magistrate in Fort Lauderdale, was nominated by President Barack Obama Wednesday to serve as a U.S. District Court judge in Miami. read full story

11/30/11 – Salt Lake City attorney nominated for federal judge post
A Salt Lake City commercial and catastrophic personal injury attorney has been nominated to serve as a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Utah. read full story

11/30/11 – Obama nominates Salt Lake lawyer as federal judge
President Barack Obama has nominated a Salt Lake lawyer to fill a vacancy on the federal bench in the U.S. District Court for Utah. read full story

11/30/11 – President Obama Nominates Three to Serve on the US District Court Bench
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Timothy S. Hillman, Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum and Robert J. Shelby to serve on the United States District Court bench. read full story

11/28/11 – Hispanic Bar Group Voices Concern on ABA Screening Results
The Hispanic National Bar Association issued a statement of concern over a news report that that numerous women and minorities were among President Obama’s judicial prospects receiving a “not qualified” rating from an ABA screening panel. read full story

11/28/11 – Senate Confirms Droney to Second Circuit
The U.S. Senate on Monday evening voted to elevate federal Judge Christopher Droney to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit​, by a vote of 88-0. read full story

11/28/11 – Senate Confirms Judge Christopher Droney For U.S. Appeals Court
The U.S. Senate on Monday unanimously approved the appointment of Hartford federal district Judge Christopher F. Droney to the U.S. 2^nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. read full story

11/23/11 – ABA Rates Obama’s Women and Minority Judicial Nominees “Unqualified”
Today, the New York Times revealed that the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary is not only far more likely to deliver harsh verdicts about President Obama’s federal judicial nominees than it was during the Clinton or Bush administrations (7.5% rejection rate for Obama nominees compared to 2% rate for Clinton and Bush) but those deemed unqualified are overwhelmingly women and minorities. read full story

11/23/11 – Action in December on Backlogged Judicial Nominations?
To allow more time for the Senate to vote on pending judicial nominations, the Senate Judiciary Committee will slow nomination hearings in the final weeks of 2011. read full story

11/22/11 – Panel Rejects Many Obama Prospects for Judgeships
The American Bar Association has secretly declared a significant number of President Obama’s potential judicial nominees “not qualified,” slowing White House efforts to fill vacant judgeships — and nearly all of the prospects given poor ratings were women or members of an ethnic minority group, according to interviews. read full story

11/22/11 – Detroit judge nominated for federal bench
The White House has announced that President Barack Obama has nominated Wayne County Circuit Judge Gerswhin Drain to a seat on U.S. District Court in Detroit. read full story

11/22/11 – Senate Judiciary plans to slow nomination hearings
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has decided to slow down nomination hearings to give time to confirm pending nominees. read full story

– ABA Gives “Not Qualified” Rating to 14 of 185 Proposed Obama Judicial Nominees
The White House has chosen not to nominate any person the bar association deemed unqualified, so the negative ratings have not been made public. But the association’s judicial vetting committee has opposed 14 of the roughly 185 potential nominees the administration asked it to evaluate, according to a person familiar with the matter. read full story

11/22/11 – Ratings Shrink President’s List for Judgeships
The American Bar Association has secretly declared a significant number of President Obama’s potential judicial nominees “not qualified,” slowing White House efforts to fill vacant judgeships — and nearly all of the prospects given poor ratings were women or members of a minority group, according to interviews. read full story

11/19/11 – Conservative federal appeals court shifts left
The federal appellate court that covers Maryland has for years been considered one of the more right-leaning in the nation, finding that women can be banned from a military institute, that the FDA can't regulate tobacco and that confessions count even when suspects haven't been read their rights, among other conservative opinions. But the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals now appears to have taken a left turn. read full story

11/18/11 – Consent agreement on judicial nominations
At a time to be determined by the Majority Leader, in consultation with the Republican Leader, but not prior to December 5, 2011, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the four nominations. read full story

11/18/11 – Wayne County judge nominated for U.S. District Court
Veteran Wayne County and Detroit jurist Gerswhin Drain, who presided over prayers for grace and testimony of unshakeable horror, was nominated Thursday to a seat on the U.S. District Court. read full story

11/18/11 – Senate to take up judicial nominations after break
U.S. Senators on Friday brokered an agreement to take up five judicial nominees after the Senate returns from its Thanksgiving break. read full story

11/17/11 – President Obama Nominates Judge Gershwin A. Drain to Serve on the US District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Gershwin A. Drain to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. read full story

11/17/11 – Obama nominates Drain for federal court judgeship
President Barack Obama nominated Wayne County Circuit Judge Gershwin A. Drain on Thursday to fill a seat on the federal court bench in Detroit. read full story

11/16/11 – Bay Area to get 1st Latina federal judge
Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, an Alameda County judge since 2008, was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday for the U.S. District Court in Oakland, where she will become the first Latina federal judge in the Bay Area. read full story

11/16/11 – Senate confirms Gleason for federal district court
State court Judge Sharon Gleason on Tuesday became the first woman named to a federal bench in Alaska. read full story

11/15/11 – Judge Sharon Gleason Confirmed by Senate
Alaska will soon get its first female judge appointed to the federal bench in state history. read full story

11/15/11 – Senate confirms Piedmont judge to federal bench
The U.S. Senate voted 89-6 this morning to confirm Alameda County Superior Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers as Northern California’s first Latina U.S. District Judge. read full story

11/15/11 – Senate confirms Gleason to federal bench
State court Judge Sharon Gleason on Tuesday became the first woman named to a federal bench in Alaska. read full story

11/15/11 – Senate confirms two judicial nominees
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed two of President Obama's judicial nominees to sit on the federal bench. read full story

11/14/11 – Federal judges in Idaho face swelling caseload
Idaho's two U.S. District Court judges are juggling three times the caseloads of federal judges in Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and Alaska, and each of those states has three federal judges, instead of two, the Idaho Business Review reports. read full story

11/14/11 – Edward DuMont Asks Obama to Withdraw Federal Circuit Nomination
Edward DuMont won't be rounding out the judicial lineup for the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. DuMont has asked President Obama to withdraw his name from consideration for the final opening on the Federal Circuit bench. read full story

11/11/11 – Openly Gay Judicial Nominee Edward DuMont Withdraws His Nomination
Openly gay judicial nominee Edward DuMont has asked President Barack Obama to withdraw his nomination to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, D.C gay weekly Metro Weekly reported. read full story

11/11/11 – Gay appeals court nominee withdraws
The White House sent out notice Thursday night that it was withdrawing the nomination of openly gay attorney Edward DuMont to serve on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. read full story

11/10/11 – D.C. Lawyer Nominated To Federal Circuit Bench
Richard Taranto, a name partner at the Washington firm Farr & Taranto, was nominated Thursday evening to a slot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. read full story

11/10/11 – President Obama Nominates Richard Gary Taranto to Serve on the US Court of Appeals
Today, President Obama nominated Richard Gary Taranto to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. read full story

11/10/11 – Obama Nominates Two as Federal Judges in Chicago
President Obama on Thursday nominated two men for federal judgeships in the Northern District of Illinois, both of whom once worked at the same law firm as his current chief of staff, Bill Daley. read full story

11/10/11 – Obama nominates 2 as federal judges in Chicago
The president nominated two men Thursday for federal judgeships in the Northern District of Illinois. read full story

11/10/11 – Susie Morgan’s judicial nomination wins committee approval
One week after Republicans delayed a vote on her nomination, New Orleans lawyer Susie Morgan won quick, unanimous approval Thursday from the Senate Judiciary Committee for a seat on the New Orleans federal court. read full story

11/10/11 – Two D.C. Federal Judges to Retire
U.S. District Chief Judge Royce Lamberth announced late Thursday that two judges from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia are retiring. read full story

11/10/11 – President Obama Nominates Four to Serve on the US District Court Bench
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, John Z. Lee, Judge George Levi Russell, IIIand John J. Tharp Jr. to serve on the United States District Court bench. read full story

11/10/11 – Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate
Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate read full story

11/10/11 – Edward DuMont is Out: DuMont Requests that President Obama Withdraw his Federal Circuit Nomination
Once Judge Wallach is sworn-in, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will have 11 members on the full bench. In early 2010, President Obama nominated WilmerHale attorney Edward DuMont for the job as a circuit court judge on the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Senate did not act upon that nomination in 2010 and the President resubmitted the nomination again to the new congress in January 2011. The ABA gave DuMont its highest rating for the job -- "unanimously well qualified." However, the Senate Judiciary Committee never held a hearing on DuMont's nomination. Now, DuMont has requested that President Obama withdraw his nomination. read full story

11/10/11 – Criminal Case Glut Impedes Civil Suits
An explosion of criminal prosecutions in the nation's overextended federal courts has left civil litigants from bereaved spouses to corporate giants waiting years for their day in court. read full story

11/10/11 – Obama picks San Diego judge for federal bench
President Barack Obama on Thursday nominated Superior Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel to a seat on the federal court in San Diego. read full story

11/9/11 – CIT’s Evan Wallach Confirmed by Senate To Fill 11th Judge Slot on Federal Circuit
The U.S. Senate voted 99-0 Nov. 8 to confirm Evan Jonathan Wallach's nomination to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. read full story

11/8/11 – Delegation mum on next nominee for Kentucky federal judge
The Western District of Kentucky is in line to get a new $174,000-a-year federal judge. But where that judge will come from and who will make the recommendation isn’t clear. read full story

11/8/11 – Evan Wallach Unanimously Confirmed to Federal Circuit
The Senate voted 99-0 to confirm Judge Evan Wallach to the Federal Circuit. Wallach becomes the 11th member of the court that still has a vacancy. Judge Wallach does not have signficant intellectual property experience. He does bring significant experience in international trade, having been a judge on the Court of International Trade since 1995. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War and served as Judge Advocate General in the Army and National Guard. read full story

11/8/11 – Former Las Vegas attorney confirmed as appeals judge
Former Las Vegas attorney Evan J. Wallach was confirmed Tuesday by the U.S. Senate to become a federal appeals judge. read full story

11/6/11 – 3 attorneys nominated for vacant federal judgeship
The names of three Baton Rouge attorneys were announced Friday by U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., as candidates for the federal judgeship left vacant by the death of Chief U.S. District Judge Ralph E. Tyson. read full story

11/5/11 – Federal Bench in Delaware Now at Full Strength
For the first time in about 5 years, the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware will not have a empty chair among its full-time members. read full story

11/5/11 – Federal court nomination of Susie Morgan to get more consideration
A planned Senate Judiciary Committee vote last week on President Barack Obama's nomination of New Orleans lawyer Susie Morgan to the New Orleans federal District Court was put off after Republicans asked for more time to consider the nomination. read full story

11/4/11 – Third Gay Obama Court Pick Makes Slow Progress
Two of four openly gay and lesbian picks for the federal courts nominated by President Obama have been confirmed, but two others are languishing, making only fitful progress if that. read full story

11/4/11 – Jackson takes his place on Colorado’s federal bench
R. Brooke Jackson kissed his wife, Liz, after she helped him into his black robe just before he was formally sworn onto Colorado's U.S. District Court bench this evening. read full story

11/4/11 – Landrieu recommends 3 to fill federal vacancy on bench in Louisiana
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu has recommended three people to President Barack Obama to consider as he fills a judicial vacancy in Louisiana's Middle District based in Baton Rouge. read full story

11/4/11 – Senate confirms Andrews as federal judge in Del.
The U.S. Senate has confirmed the appointment of former federal prosecutor Richard Andrews as Delaware's newest U.S. District Court judge. read full story

11/4/11 – Senate confirms Skavdahl’s nomination as Wyoming federal judge
The U.S. Senate voted 96-0 Thursday to confirm the nomination of Scott Skavdahl to be a federal judge for Wyoming. read full story

11/3/11 – Justice Ginsburg: A clean bill of health
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has twice survived cancer and is regularly subject to speculation about her retirement plans, said Thursday she recently received a clean bill of health. read full story

11/3/11 – Judicial nominee Du advances over GOP objections
Gov Brian Sandoval issued a glowing recommendation this summer for Reno attorney Miranda Du to become a federal judge in Nevada. read full story

11/3/11 – Justice nominated for 9th Circuit
President Obama on Wednesday nominated one of Arizona's Supreme Court justices to serve on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals - a move that would give Gov. Jan Brewer the chance to put a third pick on the state's high court. read full story

11/3/11 – Thacker’s federal bench nomination sails through committee
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously approved the nomination of Charleston attorney Stephanie Thacker as a federal appeals court judge, clearing the way for a final vote in the full Senate. read full story

11/3/11 – Senate committee supports openly gay federal judicial nominee Michael Walter Fitzgerald
An openly gay California attorney moved a crucial step closer Thursday to confirmation as a federal judge, with his smooth passage one more sign of a slowly evolving political climate. read full story

11/3/11 – Thacker Wins US Senate Committee Approval For Judicial Post
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved Charleston attorney Stephanie Thacker's nomination to be a federal judge on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday. read full story

11/3/11 – Conservative Christian Groups Lobby Against Gay Judicial Nominee
Two conservative Christian groups sent letters this week to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee urging them to oppose the nomination of Michael Fitzgerald, an openly gay nominee for U.S. District for the Central District of California, because of his “extreme liberal activism.” read full story

11/3/11 – Senate panel advances gay judicial nominee
A Senate committee approved unanimously by voice vote on Thursday a judicial nominee who could become the fourth openly gay person to sit on the federal bench. read full story

11/3/11 – Judge David Guaderrama introduced before US Senate Judiciary Committee
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee questioned El Pasoan David C. Guaderrama on Wednesday about a judicial decision he made more than a decade ago that allowed the now-convicted child killer David Renteria to stay on the streets. read full story

11/3/11 – Judicial appointments remain in limbo as Johnson, Kohl disagree on make up of nominating commission
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says he wants equal representation on the Federal Nominating Commission to fill two judicial openings even though that would break precedent in Wisconsin. read full story

11/3/11 – Obama nominates Arizona justice to U.S. appeals court
President Obama on Wednesday nominated Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew D. Hurwitz to a seat on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, his third proposal in recent weeks to fill vacancies on the overwhelmed Western appellate bench. read full story

11/3/11 – Thacker one step closer to federal bench
A University of Richmond law school professor says the full U.S. Senate should "promptly confirm" West Virginia attorney Stephanie Thacker's nomination to a federal appeals court. read full story

11/3/11 – Grassley Spokeswoman Cites ‘Insurmountable Concerns’ over Charles Day Nomination
Senate Judiciary Committee members had "insurmountable concerns" about matters raised during a background investigation of Charles Day, whose nomination to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland was withdrawn Monday, a spokeswoman for the panel's top Republican said Wednesday. read full story

11/2/11 – Obama Withdraws Nomination of Charles Day for Maryland District Court
President Barack Obama on Monday withdrew the nomination of a U.S. magistrate judge whom he tapped for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. read full story

11/2/11 – Southern California judge questioned by Senate Judiciary Committee
The first Vietnamese-American on the federal bench brought friends and family to Washington today for moral support as she answered questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee. The president has nominated U.S. District Court Judge Jacqueline Nguyen to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

11/2/11 – Obama nominates Arkansas lawyer for federal bench
President Barack Obama today nominated Kristine G. Baker to be the U.S. District judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. read full story

11/2/11 – Obama nominates Kris Baker for federal judgeship
Sources tell me President Obama will nominate Kris Baker, a member of Little Rock's Quattlebaum law firm, to a vacancy on the federal district court bench. The nomination could come very shortly. read full story

11/2/11 – President Obama Nominates Kristine Gerhard Baker to United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Kristine Gerhard Baker to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. read full story

11/2/11 – President Obama Nominates Justice Andrew David Hurwitz to Serve on the United States Court of Appeals
Today, President Obama nominated Justice Andrew David Hurwitz to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. read full story

11/1/11 – Obama Withdraws Nomination of Charles Day for Maryland District Court
President Barack Obama on Monday withdrew the nomination of a U.S. magistrate judge whom he tapped for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. read full story

11/1/11 – Obama judge withdrawn, a slate of nominees, plus some embassy shuffles
The White House on Monday ended the twisting-in-the wind nomination of Charles Bernard Day to be federal district judge for the District of Maryland. Day’s nomination hung around the Senate for ten months, but he never got a Judiciary Committee hearing. read full story

11/1/11 – Senate confirms Loyola professor for 5th Circuit
Legal academics have had a tough time winning confirmation for high-profile government jobs. But Loyola University New Orleans School of Law professor Stephen Higginson had a relatively easy time of it. The Senate voted unanimously on Oct. 31 to confirm him for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. read full story

11/1/11 – October is banner month for judge confirmations
 The Senate last month confirmed 15 nominees to the federal bench, the busiest month so far this year. read full story

10/31/11 – Hutchison and Cornyn recommend three people to fill Eastern District of Texas bench in Sherman
U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, R-Texas, have forwarded the names of three people to President Barack Obama to fill the U.S. District Court bench in Sherman. read full story

10/31/11 – Senate confirms Stephen Higginson for seat on 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals
The U.S. Senate on Monday unanimously approved Stephen Higginson's nomination for a seat on the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The vote was 88-0. read full story

10/31/11 – Senate OKs Higginson for appeals seat
The Senate voted Monday to confirm Stephen Higginson to serve on the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Louisiana. The vote was 88-0. read full story

10/31/11 – NAACP Calls for More Black Judges in North Carolina
North Carolina needs more Black federal judges, the NAACP says. In an effort to secure more African-American officials for positions on the federal bench, North Carolina’s largest civil rights organization is calling on the state’s two senators to nominate them. read full story

10/31/11 – Presidential Withdrawal Sent to the Senate
Withdrawal sent to the Senate: Charles Bernard Day, of Maryland, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland, vice Peter J. Messitte, retired, which was sent to the Senate on January 5, 2011. read full story

10/31/11 – ‘State of the District’ not too rosy: Chief Judge Conway talks budget and judge shuffle
U.S. District Chief Judge for the Middle District of Florida Anne Conway explained the court will have to do more with less in her “State of the District” speech at a recent meeting of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association at the Main Library Downtown. read full story

10/28/2011 – Obama asks ABA to evaluate Adegbile for D.C. Circuit
President Obama has asked the American Bar Association to evaluate the credentials of Debo Patrick Adegbile, director of litigation for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. read full story

10/27/11 – Senators Hutchison and Cornyn Submit U.S. Judicial Recommendations to White House
U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn today notified the White House of their recommendations to be considered for the federal judicial vacancy in the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Office. All candidates were vetted by the bipartisan Federal Judiciary Evaluation Committee (FJEC). read full story

10/26/11 – Schumer Bucks Far Right Sneak Attack on Lesbian Judge
Chuck Schumer, New York’s senior senator, found himself scrambling on October 13 to ensure that what had been shaping up as a relatively noncontroversial confirmation of a federal judicial nominee he recommended in fact play out successfully. read full story

10/26/11 – Charles Schumer Makes Case for Gay Judges
When it comes to openly gay appointees to the federal bench, the glass ceiling might as well have been coated in concrete — until Sen. Charles Schumer pushed for two out nominees. read full story

10/25/11 – OB native named to bench
Bernice Bouie Donald, who was sworn in this past Thursday as the newest federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, was a trailblazer long before her most recent honor. read full story

10/25/11 – State NAACP urges more African-American federal judges
The state NAACP wants more African-American judges appointed to U.S. District Courts in the state. In an open letter to U.S. Sens. Kay Hagan and Richard Burr, the state's largest civil rights group said the senators should recommend an African American to serve as U.S. District Court judge in the Eastern District. read full story

10/23/11 – Judicial branch lacks gender diversity
The federal bench still lacks gender diversity, despite growing numbers of women in the legal profession. read full story

10/23/11 – Females Scarce in Federal Court System
The lack of gender diversity on the federal bench seems to be an “anomaly” because since the 1980s more women have joined the legal profession, more women have entered law schools in recent years and women continue to apply when openings are available. read full story

10/21/11 – Senate confirms Middle District judge
One of the three judicial vacancies in the U.S. Middle District has been filled with the Senate confirmation this week of Scranton labor attorney Robert D. Mariani. read full story

10/21/11 – NASABA Asks Obama to Recruit South Asians for Judiciary
The North American South Asian Bar Association has asked President Barack Obama to consider the “statistical and demographic evidence” of a need for greater representation of the South Asian (American) community in the nomination and appointment of federal judiciary.” read full story

10/21/11 – Law professor says committee will approve Thacker
A University of Richmond law school professor says it's not surprising that West Virginia attorney Stephanie Thacker's nomination to a federal appeals court was held over Thursday. read full story

10/21/11 – Wyden Announces Statewide Committee to Recommend Names for Federal Judgeship
Senator Ron Wyden announced today the names of 13 Oregonians who will serve on the Senator’s Judicial Selection Committee that will recommend names to fill a federal district court judgeship for Oregon. read full story

10/21/11 – S.F. federal court vacancy gives Obama an opening
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer says he will transfer to senior status with a limited caseload by the end of the year, creating another vacancy on the federal bench in San Francisco. read full story

10/20/11 – Hornak Confirmation Fills Pittsburgh Federal Bench
The final vacancy on the U.S. District Court bench in Pittsburgh has been filled now that the U.S. Senate has confirmed a city attorney nominated by President Barack Obama last year. read full story

10/20/11 – Confirmation for Susie Morgan as federal judge might come slowly
New Orleans lawyer Susie Morgan appears headed for confirmation as a federal District Court judge after a conflict-free confirmation hearing Wednesday, but it might take awhile. Morgan was nominated by President Barack Obama to replace New Orleans Federal District Court Judge Thomas Porteous, who was removed by the Senate last December for judicial misconduct. read full story

10/20/11 – Conservatives balk, but Senate OKs Mariani for judgeship
The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Scranton attorney Robert D. Mariani as a federal district judge Wednesday, despite an unexpected last-minute wave of opposition led by some of its most conservative senators. read full story

10/20/11 – Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Sen. Feinstein’s Bill To Add 4 New EDCA Judgeships
The Senate Judiciary Committee last week approved legislation authored by Senator Dianne Feinstein to add four new District Judgeships in the Eastern District. The legislation proposes to pay for the new spots through a $10 increase in the civil filing fee. read full story

10/19/11 – Senate confirms Hornak as federal judge
By unanimous consent, the Senate today filled the last remaining federal judicial vacancy in Western Pennsylvania by confirming the nomination of Homestead native Mark R. Hornak as a federal district judge. read full story

10/19/11 – Senate panel may vote Thursday on gay judicial nominee
A Senate committee may vote Thursday on the nomination of a judicial nominee who could become the fourth openly gay person to sit on the federal bench. read full story

10/19/11 – Charles Breyer to Take Senior Status, Opening Another Slot on Bench
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, the court's behind-the-scenes mover and shaker with a well-deserved reputation as the federal bench's ham, will take senior status this year. read full story

10/19/11 – Scranton Attorney Mariani Confirmed as Federal Judge
The Senate Wednesday voted 82-17 to approve the nomination of Scranton labor attorney Robert Mariani to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. read full story

10/18/11 – Senate Oks 49th Judicial Nominee; Dozens Await Vote
The Senate voted 82-3 to confirm Cathy Bissoon to the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, where she will be the first Hispanic woman to sit on the bench. read full story

10/18/11 – Paul Watford nominated to federal appeals court
Paul Watford, a Los Angeles lawyer and former federal prosecutor, was nominated Monday by President Obama to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, where Obama's judicial choices have been bogged down in the Senate. read full story

10/18/11 – Obama nominates L.A. lawyer to 9th Circuit
Paul J. Watford, a Los Angeles lawyer with broad experience and the support of some influential local conservatives, was nominated by President Obama on Monday to the busiest federal appeals court in the country. read full story

10/18/11 – Magistrate OK’d as judge for Western District of Pennsylvania
The Senate on Monday confirmed a Mt. Lebanon woman as the newest federal judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania. read full story

10/18/11 – U.S. Senate confirms Bissoon as district judge
The U.S. Senate on Monday voted to confirm Cathy Bissoon, 43, to the District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, but the commonwealth still has empty bench seats waiting to be filled. read full story

10/17/11 – Obama nominates L.A. attorney for 9th Circuit post
Paul J. Watford, a Los Angeles attorney with broad experience and the support of some influential local conservatives, was nominated by President Barack Obama on Monday to the busiest appeals court in the country. read full story

10/17/11 – Attorney Paul J. Watford Nominated to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
President Obama has nominated Los Angeles attorney Paul J. Waford to serve as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The White House announced the nomination today. read full story

10/17/11 – Senate confirms 49th judicial nominee this year
The Senate confirmed Cathy Bissoon to be a United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania by a vote of 82-3 on Monday. read full story

10/17/11 – Senate confirms Judge Cathy Bissoon
The U.S. Senate today confirmed Cathy Bissoon's nomination as U.S. district judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Judge Bissoon's confirmation came on an 82-3 vote. read full story

10/17/11 – President Obama Nominates Paul J. Watford to Serve on the United States Court of Appeals
Today, President Obama nominated Paul J. Watford to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. “Paul J. Watford has displayed exceptional dedication to the legal profession through his work and I am honored to nominate him to serve the American people as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals,” President Obama said. "He will be a diligent, judicious and esteemed addition to the Ninth Circuit bench." read full story

10/15/11 – Judges’ deaths add to 9th Circuit backlog
Five judges from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals have died this year, worsening an already critical case backlog and spotlighting President Obama's inability to put his judicial choices and stamp on the powerful court. read full story

10/14/11 – ABA President Urges Senate Leaders to Reduce Federal Court Vacancies
The Senate’s confirmation of ten judicial nominees during the span of two weeks is welcome progress, but federal court vacancies remain high and a continued effort to move judicial nominations is needed, American Bar Association President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III says in letters to congressional leaders. read full story

10/14/11 – One Pennsylvania judicial nominee to reach Senate floor Monday – but it’s not Mariani
A Pennsylvania federal district court nominee will be voted on and presumably approved by the Senate Monday – but it isn’t Robert Mariani, the Scranton labor lawyer nominated by President Obama for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. read full story

10/14/11 – Gerrard judgeship bid advances
Nebraska Supreme Court Judge John Gerrard's nomination to the federal bench moved forward Thursday, despite the opposition of one U.S. senator who criticized the judge's decision in a death penalty case. read full story

10/13/11 – Senate confirms lesbian to federal judiciary
The U.S. Senate confirmed on Thursday an out judicial nominee to become the second-ever open lesbian to sit on the federal bench. read full story

10/13/11 – Senate Confirms Three Judicial Nominees
Three pending judicial nominees won final approval by the U.S. Senate Thursday, three months after having been reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee. There remain more than two dozen judicial nominations awaiting final action by the Senate after having been approved by the Judiciary Committee, including nominations reported by the Committee prior to the August recess. read full story

10/13/11 – Senate confirms lesbian court nominee
The U.S. Senate voted Thursday (October 13) to confirm the nomination of lesbian attorney Alison Nathan to serve as a federal district court judge. read full story

10/13/11 – Senate confirms controversial Obama judicial nominee
Following a low intensity floor-scuffle, the Senate confirmed Obama nominee Alison J. Nathan, 48-44, to serve as a United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York. read full story

10/13/11 – With Just Two Openly Gay Appointees, President Obama Triples The Number Of Out Federal Judges
 Later today, the Senate is expected to confirm Alison Nathan to as a United States District Judge in New York City. Nathan will be the second openly gay Obama appointee confirmed to the federal bench. Sadly, this means that President Obama has now appointed two-thirds of the openly gay attorneys ever appointed as a life-tenured federal judge. President Clinton appointed the third out judge, Judge Deborah Batts. read full story

10/13/11 – Panel sends Obama judicial nominee to Senate floor
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to send U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jose Jordan of Miami to the Senate floor for a confirmation vote to fill a vacancy on the federal appeals court in Atlanta. read full story

10/13/11 – Judge Jordan voice vote with no opposition
Judge Jordan took the next step today in getting to the 11th Circuit. The judiciary committee's voice vote was unanimous today on Judge Jordan. Senator Sessions even congratulated President Obama on nominating Judge Jordan, who said he had met with him and was impressed with his "12 good years as a district judge" and his prior experience. read full story

10/13/11 – Senate panel OKs Nuffer as Utah’s next federal judge
Magistrate David Nuffer is now one vote away from becoming Utah’s newest federal judge after the Senate Judiciary Committee gave approval Thursday to his nomination. read full story

10/13/11 – Senate approves Hickey’s nomination to federal bench
The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Susan Hickey’s nomination to the federal bench in Arkansas today, over the objections of some Republicans who questioned her experience. read full story

10/13/11 – Without GOP support, Senate confirms gay woman as federal judge in New York
Without Republican support, the Senate on Thursday narrowly confirmed an openly gay woman to become a federal judge in New York. read full story

10/13/11 – Senate Confirms Three More Judicial Nominees
Two lawyers who have served in the Obama administration will be joining the federal district court in the Southern District of New York after they won Senate confirmation — one of them by a narrow margin. read full story

10/13/11 – Nathan, NY judicial nominee, narrowly passes Senate
A nominee for the federal court in New York whom Republicans had criticized for her lack of courtroom experience and liberal views, was confirmed on Thursday by the Senate in a narrow, party-line vote. read full story

10/13/11 – Gerrard’s judicial nomination moves to Senate floor
President Barack Obama's nomination of Nebraska Supreme Court Judge John Gerrard to the U.S. District Court cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday with one dissenting vote. read full story

10/13/11 – Lesbian Survives 11th Hour Right-Wing Assault to Win Court Seat
What had been shaping up as a relatively noncontroversial judicial confirmation turned into a nail-biter just hours before the Senate vote on Alison Nathan, an out lesbian appointed by President Barack Obama in March to a seat on the US Court for New York’s Southern District. read full story

10/13/11 – Senate to Vote Today on Alison Nathan’s Nomination, Would Be Second Lesbian Federal Judge
Today, the U.S. Senate is slated to vote on the nomination of Alison Nathan for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. read full story

10/13/11 – Vote today on Arkansas judgeship
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote this morning on the president's nomination of Circuit Judge Susan Hickey of El Dorado to a federal district court vacancy for the western district of Arkansas. read full story

10/12/11 – ‘Emergency’ judge nominees for Georgia stalled in Senate slog
Three long-awaited federal judge vacancies in Atlanta that have been declared "emergencies" are nowhere close to being filled, as they remain bogged down in murky disputes between the White House and Georgia's Republican U.S. senators. read full story

10/11/11 – Harkin recommends three names to Obama for federal judge vacancy
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin has submitted three names to President Obama to fill an upcoming federal judge vacancy. The vacancy will occur on July 1 after current Judge Robert Pratt retires from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. read full story

10/11/11 – Harkin recommends three women for federal bench
Three Iowa women, all with distinguished legal careers, have been recommended by U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Southern District of Iowa federal bench. read full story

10/11/11 – Federal judge selection process in crisis, experts say
Vacant federal judge positions in Pennsylvania provide a good example of the problems plaguing the nomination and confirmation process nationwide, an analyst said. read full story

10/11/11 – Jane Triche-Milazzo secures Senate’s confirmation for federal judgeship
The U.S. Senate voted 98-0 Tuesday to confirm Louisiana District Court Judge Jane Margaret Triche-Milazzo of Napoleonville as a federal judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. "I am truly honored by the trust President (Barack) Obama and the Senate have placed in me through my nomination and confirmation. As I undertake these new responsibilities, I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Louisiana," Triche-Milazzo said. "I greatly appreciate Sen. (Mary) Landrieu shepherding me through this process and her unwavering support." read full story

10/10/11 – East Texas Federal judge, magistrate leave posts
After 12 years on the bench, U.S. District Judge T. John Ward has retired to take advantage of a golden opportunity —practicing law with his son. read full story

10/9/11 – Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo could pass Senate muster soon
Don't blink, or you might miss this. For two minutes on Tuesday the Senate will debate President Barack Obama's nomination of Louisiana state District Court Judge Jane Margaret Triche-Milazzo of Napoleonville for a seat on the Federal District Court in New Orleans. read full story

10/7/11 – Judge’s ‘senior’ role leads to vacancy
U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan has achieved “senior status” with the court — a shift that eases him into semiretirement and creates a vacancy on the federal bench in Eugene. read full story

10/7/11 – US Senate Judiciary Committee Approves W.Va. Federal Judge Nominee
A state 23rd Judicial Circuit judge could serve on the federal bench after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved her nomination in an Oct. 6 hearing. read full story

10/7/11 – Judge Jordan’s nomination delayed and will join dozens awaiting Senate Floor votes
David Oscar Markus lives in a rational world. Thus, he reasonably believed that the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee would vote today on the nomination of S.D. Fla. District Judge Adalberto José Jordán to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit. read full story

10/6/11 – Advocates seek action on nominations
With the U.S. Senate confirming Marina Garcia Marmolejo for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, nonpartisan advocates are urging senators to move quickly to fill other judicial vacancies, including one for U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas, which Marshall’s James “Rodney” Gilstrap has been nominated to fill. read full story

10/6/11 – Henry Floyd Confirmed for Fourth Circuit in Rare Unanimous Vote
U.S. District Judge Henry Floyd was confirmed to a seat on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals by a 96-0 vote on Tuesday. read full story

10/6/11 – Senate Judiciary approves Groh for federal court
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to approve Berkeley Circuit Judge Gina M. Groh to the federal court, along with four other judges in different states. read full story

10/5/11 – Mexican-born Naturalized Citizen Confirmed Federal Judge
Marina Marmolejo is about to take a federal judgeship in Laredo, right across the border from her hometown of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Monday. She obtained her law degree from St. Mary's University in San Antonio. read full story

10/5/11 – Family hears judicial nominee testify at Senate hearing
Miranda Du, who came to the United States in childhood as a Vietnamese refugee, took a step Tuesday toward becoming a federal judge in Nevada. read full story

10/5/11 – Gay nominee politely labeled an ‘activist’ by GOP
A fourth openly gay nominee—one who has been fairly heavily involved in both gay and non-gay legal and political issues and who spent “hundreds of hours” doing pro bono work that led to the elimination of a gay ban on FBI agents—has gone before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. The nominee’s gay-related history prompted the only Republican in attendance on his confirmation hearing to label the nominee an “activist.” read full story

10/5/11 – Marina Garcia Marmolejo confirmed for federal bench in Laredo
On Oct. 3, the Senate confirmed Marina Garcia Marmolejo to become a U.S. district judge in Laredo. Marmolejo, a former federal prosecutor and partner in Austin’s Reid Collins Tsai, will become the second judge nominated by President Barack Obama who has been seated in Laredo -- one of the busiest courthouses in the Southern District of Texas when it comes to criminal cases. read full story

10/5/11 – Nonpartisan legal experts urge Senate to approve Obama’s Texas judicial nominees
A group of nonpartisan legal leaders in Texas called Tuesday on the U.S. Senate to expeditiously move to fill judicial vacancies with President Barack Obama’s nominees for district and appellate courts. read full story

10/5/11 – The historic confirmation of Nannette Jolivette-Brown
Nannette Jolivette-Brown will be the first African-American woman to serve on the federal bench in Louisiana, following a unanimous vote by the U.S. Senate Monday confirming her nomination. read full story

10/5/11 – Hamlin native on way to bench
Charleston lawyer Stephanie Thacker fielded questions from members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, a key stop on her path to the federal bench. read full story

10/5/11 – New Jersey judge nominated for appeals court
President Obama today nominated a New Jersey judge to serve on a federal appellate court. read full story

10/5/11 – Obama nominates Paterson-born judge to federal appeals court
President Obama nominated Paterson-born federal magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Wednesday. read full story

10/5/11 – President Obama Nominates Judge Patty Shwartz for the United States Court of Appeals
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Patty Shwartz for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. read full story

10/5/11 – Texans point to judicial slots
A group of nonpartisan legal leaders in Texas called Tuesday on the U.S. Senate to quickly fill judicial vacancies with President Barack Obama's nominees for district and appellate courts. read full story

10/4/11 – Texas Legal Group Urges More Judicial Appointments
A nonpartisan group of Texas lawyers, law professors and other legal advocates today called on the U.S. Senate to quickly fill judicial vacancies that are slowing down the justice system in Texas and nationwide. read full story

10/4/11 – Federal judicial vacancies threaten justice system, experts say
Today a group of legal experts called on Congress to move quicker to fill vacant federal judgeships around the country. The number of vacancies "is damaging to the judiciary and its ability to perform its basic core function, which is the swift dispensation of justice," said Christopher Elliott , chair of the Austin chapter of the American Constitution Society, in a conference call with reporters today. "We see this as a non partisan issue." read full story

10/4/11 – Senate Confirms Successor to Late Judge John Roll
The U.S. Senate has elevated a federal magistrate judge to the district court bench in Arizona, filling a position that has been vacant since the shooting death of Judge John Roll. read full story

10/4/11 – Judge Henry Floyd elevated to 4th Circuit
The Senate on Monday unanimously confirmed U.S. District Judge Henry F. Floyd to serve on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, promoting the South Carolinian to the five-state appellate bench. read full story

10/4/11 – Senate confirms New Orleans city attorney as judge
The Senate on Monday confirmed New Orleans City Attorney Nannette Jolivette-Brown to a seat on the New Orleans federal bench. She was one of five judges to win Senate confirmation, signaling an easing, albeit probably a temporary one, in Republican resistance to confirming judges nominated by President Barack Obama. read full story

10/4/11 – Senate approves six for judgeships
The Senate on Monday approved six nominees to fill judicial vacancies, addressing a backlog of 27 judicial nominees that were pending before the chamber. read full story

10/4/11 – Thacker testifies before judiciary committee
West Virginia attorney Stephanie Thacker touched on her experience as both a prosecutor and private practice attorney while testifying before a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. read full story

10/4/11 – Senators talk up Thacker for federal appeals court
Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin urged the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday to support the nomination of Charleston lawyer Stephanie Dawn Thacker to become a judge on the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

10/4/11 – Hearing Held For Charleston Attorney Nominated For Judge Seat
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote within the next few weeks on President Barack Obama's nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. read full story

10/4/11 – US Senate Judiciary Committee Hosts Hearing on Thacker’s appointment to the 4th Circuit
Approximately 26 days after President Barack Obama nominated a Charleston lawyer to the bench of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to discuss a possible appointment. read full story

10/4/11 – Fifth Circuit Nominee Stephen Higginson Waits for Senate Vote
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals may have to continue waiting for the Senate to confirm Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Higginson’s nomination to the bench due to delays in a D.C. Circuit nominee’s confirmation process. read full story

10/4/11 – Senate approves replacement for judge slain at Giffords shooting
The Senate has moved quickly, in Washington terms, to confirm a replacement for slain federal Judge John Roll, killed in the mass shooting at a Tucson shopping center in January. read full story

10/4/11 – Out Gay Judicial Nominee Fitzgerald Has Senate Hearing
President Barack Obama's fourth out LGBT judicial nominee, California attorney Michael Fitzgerald, appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee this afternoon along with three other federal trial court nominees for a brief hearing on their nominations. read full story

10/4/11 – Senate confirms six judicial nominees
The Senate confirmed Monday six non-controversial nominees for federal judgeships, according to a Main Justice blog post. They were Henry Floyd, Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; Nannette J. Brown, Eastern District of Louisiana; Nancy Torresen, District of Maine; William F. Kuntz II, Eastern District of New York; Marina Marmolejo, Southern District of Texas; and Jennifer G. Zipps, District of Arizona. read full story

10/4/11 – Judge Jordan’s nomination to be heard by Judiciary Committee on Thursday
After the vote this Thursday, it will go to the full Senate. read full story

10/3/11 – Senate confirms Torresen as U.S. District Court judge for Maine
The Senate unanimously confirmed Nancy Torresen on Monday as a U.S. District Court judge for Maine. read full story

10/3/11 – Senate confirms Torresen as first female U.S. District judge in Maine
The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed Nancy Torresen of Bangor for a federal judgeship. read full story

10/3/11 – Senate confirms second judge for Laredo
Lawyer Marina Garcia Marmolejo was confirmed by the Senate on Monday to be a federal judge in the U.S. Southern Judicial District of Texas, filling a second border judicial vacancy in Laredo. read full story

10/3/11 – Texas lawmakers applaud confirmation of Obama federal judge in Texas
Former prosecutor Marina Garcia Marmolejo was confirmed by the Senate on Monday to be a federal judge in the U.S. Southern Judicial District of Texas, filling a second border judicial vacancy in Laredo. read full story

10/3/11 – Judicial nominee will have support of Rockefeller, Manchin at hearing
U.S. Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin will introduce West Virginia attorney Stephanie Thacker at a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday. read full story

10/3/11 – Senate Confirms 6 Of 27 Pending Judicial Nominees
The U.S. Senate Monday night unanimously confirmed six of the more than two dozen judicial nominees approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) welcomed the action, expressing hope that the Senate has turned a new page in the consideration of pending judicial nominations, which has slowed to a crawl during the Obama administration. read full story

10/2/11 – Senate to vote on some judicial nominations, while others languish
The Senate will chip away at a backlog of federal judicial vacancies Monday evening with the likely approval of six nominees who aren't considered controversial. read full story

10/2/11 – Judge nominee heads for Senate hearings
Reno attorney Miranda Du and four other nominees are scheduled to appear Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

10/1/11 – Judge’s retirement adds to courthouse crunch
The retirement of Fresno-based U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger will leave a gaping hole in one of the federal judiciary's busiest regions. read full story

9/29/11 – Torresen to be confirmed as new District Court judge
Barring unexpected problems or delays, Nancy Torresen will be confirmed by the Senate on Monday as a new U.S. District Court judge for Maine. read full story

9/29/11 – Gay judicial nominee to face Senate hearing Tuesday
A gay judicial nominee who has been tapped to serve on the federal bench will face his confirmation hearing before the Senate on Tuesday. read full story

9/29/11 – Thacker hearing set for Tuesday
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hear the nomination of Charleston attorney Stephanie Thacker for an opening on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

9/28/11 – Edward Chen Inducted as Federal Judge
There has never been a federal judicial induction ceremony quite like this one. Nearly 1,000 people crammed into six courtrooms to watch Judge Edward M. Chen inducted as the first Chinese-American judge on the federal bench in the Northern California. In the early decades of the court’s 158-year history its first judge, Ogden Hoffman, granted hundreds of petitions from Chinese immigrants seeking admission to the U.S., despite anti-Chinese exclusion laws. read full story

9/28/11 – Judging the candidate
Multiple sources report that background checks have begun on Kris Baker, a partner in the Quattlebaum law firm in Little Rock. That would make her the leader in consideration for nomination by the White House. A Senate confirmation process would follow, ever more chancy as the 2012 election nears and already-obstructive Republicans become more obstructive of the president's nominees. read full story

9/28/11 – Senate Agrees to Consider 10 Judicial Nominees
Senate leaders have reached an agreement to consider ten judicial nominees in the coming weeks, the Blog of LegalTimes has reported. The candidates, all of whom have been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, can expect floor votes beginning as soon as Monday. read full story

9/28/11 – 10 of the 27 Judicial Nominees Awaiting Confirmation Will Finally Get A Vote
The Senate reached a deal to confirm 10 pending nominees. Yet, as Nicole Flatow notes, the real story here is the 17 nominees who are ready for confirmation votes but will nonetheless remain behind a wall of obstructionism. read full story

9/27/11 – Senate to take up Hickey nomination
The U.S. Senate is expected to begin debate next week on 10 judicial nominations, including Susan Hickey to serve on the federal bench in Western District of Arkansas. read full story

9/27/11 – Senate nears vote on U.S. District Court nominee
Barring unexpected problems or delays, the U.S. Senate next week will confirm a new U.S. District Court judge for Maine. read full story

9/27/11 – New Orleans City Attorney Jolivette-Brown now a virtual lock for seat on federal District Court
New Orleans City Attorney Nannette Jolivette-Brown has moved a giant step closer to taking a seat on the federal District Court in New Orleans. The Senate agreed before recessing Monday night to take up the nomination of Jolivette-Brown and four other federal District Court nominees next Monday and to confirm them by unanimous consent without requiring a roll call vote. read full story

9/27/11 – Senators Reach Deal on 10 Judicial Nominees
Senate leaders have come to an agreement to consider 10 judicial nominees during the next several weeks, stepping up the rate that senators have been considering judges in recent months. read full story

9/27/11 – Green nomination stuck in Senate
The Senate will consider confirming several judgeships Monday, but the nomination of Monroe County District Attorney Michael C. Green is not one of them. read full story

9/27/11 – Out Lesbian Judicial Nominee Set for Senate Vote in Coming Weeks
Earlier today, the Blog of Legal Times noted that Alison Nathan, the former White House associate counsel nominated for a federal judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, is among the 10 judicial nominees who Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced would be coming for a vote in the coming weeks. read full story

9/23/11 – Obama makes potentially historic pick for 9th Circuit
Senate Republicans balked the last time President Barack Obama nominated an Asian American from California to a prominent bench seat, which some conservatives considered a stepping stone to the Supreme Court. read full story

9/22/11 – President Obama Nominates Judge Brian C. Wimes to Serve on the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Brian C. Wimes to the United States District Court bench for the Eastern and Western District of Missouri. read full story

9/22/11 – President Obama Nominates Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen to Serve on the United States Court of Appeals
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. read full story

9/21/11 – Gerrard backed for federal court
John Gerrard appeared on track Tuesday to become Nebraska's next federal judge — as long as the gears of government turn quickly enough. read full story

9/21/11 – Nuffer sails through committee hearing
Magistrate David Nuffer received nothing but praise from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, making it highly likely that the Senate will confirm him to be Utah’s next District Court judge in the weeks to come. read full story

9/20/11 – Senate approves Timothy M. Cain for federal court
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon to confirm Oconee County Judge Timothy M. Cain to serve on the United States District Court for South Carolina read full story

9/20/11 – St. Louis County judge confirmed for federal bench
The Senate on Tuesday unanimously confirmed Judge John A. Ross of St. Louis County to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, one of few recent judicial confirmations in the slow-moving Congress. read full story

9/20/11 – Senate confirms 99th and 100th Obama judicial nominees
The Senate on Tuesday afternoon confirmed the 99th and 100th Obama judicial nominees this year, keeping a pace that Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, celebrated as faster than in previous years. read full story

9/16/11 – Texas judicial nominee clears key hurdle in the Senate
A Senate committee cleared James Rodney Gilstrap on Thursday to be a federal judge in East Texas, hours after President Obama nominated U.S. Magistrate Judge David Campos Guaderrama of El Paso to fill a judicial vacancy in the Western District of Texas. read full story

9/16/11 – Loss of judge will further clog Fresno court
U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger's departure at the end of the month will do more than take two decades of institutional memory from Fresno's federal courthouse. It will test the court's ability to do its job effectively. read full story

9/16/11 – Rumors confirmed regarding district judge openings
Four names were sent up by the Judicial Nominating Commission to fill Judge Alan Gold's seat. Apparently, the White House is vetting two of those names, John Thornton and Robin Rosenbaum -- one to fill Judge Gold's seat and one to fill Judge Jordan's seat. read full story

9/15/11 – DOJ Official Nominated To Armed Forces Appeals Court
U.S. Justice Department attorney Kevin Ohlson took on a new role this year when Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. selected him to lead a unit that reviews prosecution ethics matters. But Ohlson could be moving on. read full story

9/15/11 – U.S. Magistrate Judge David Guaderrama nominated for US district judge post
President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated U.S. Magistrate Judge David Guaderrama to be a U.S. district judge in El Paso. read full story

9/15/11 – New York Judicial Nominees Win Committee Support
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to advance four nominees for federal district court, including three for the high-profile Southern District of New York. read full story

9/15/11 – Obama taps El Paso judge for district including S.A.
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Campos Guaderrama of El Paso was nominated by President Barack Obama to fill a judicial vacancy in the Western District of Texas and a Senate committee cleared James Rodney Gilstrap on Thursday to be a federal judge in East Texas. read full story

9/15/11 – Senate committee approves three for New York judgeships
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved four nominees to federal judgeships, including three for the Southern District of New York. read full story

9/14/11 – President Obama Nominates Ronald Buch to the United States Tax Court
President Obama announced today his intent to nominate Ronald Buch asaJudge to the United States Tax Court. read full story

9/14/11 – President Obama Nominates Judge David Campos Guaderrama to the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Judge David Campos Guaderrama to serve on the United States District Court bench for the Western District of Texas. read full story

9/13/11 – Obama moves at historic pace to diversify federal bench; white males under half his choices
President Barack Obama is moving at a historic pace to try to diversify the nation’s federal judiciary: Nearly three of every four people he has gotten confirmed to the federal bench are women or minorities. He is the first president who hasn’t selected a majority of white males for lifetime judgeships. read full story

9/12/11 – 10th Circuit Seat Could Stay Vacant For 3 Years
Robert Henry stepped down from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in July 2010, but it could be years before the seat is filled. read full story

9/12/11 – Sen. Tom Coburn blocked attempt to fill federal appeals court vacancy
Sen. Tom Coburn shot down the impending nomination of the dean of the University of Tulsa law school for the vacant seat on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to Oklahoma attorneys who said Coburn was concerned about Janet Levit's background in international law. read full story

9/9/11 – Panel moves to confirm some judicial nominees
Facing criticism for a backlog in judicial nominees, a Senate committee moved Thursday to confirm a dozen of President Barack Obama's appointees, including nominees for four U.S. attorney posts in Texas. read full story

9/8/11 – President Obama Nominates Gregg Jeffrey Costa to Serve on the US District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Gregg Jeffrey Costa to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. read full story

9/8/11 – President Obama Nominates Stephanie Dawn Thacker to Serve on US Circuit Court of Appeals
Today, President Obama nominated Stephanie Dawn Thacker to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. read full story

9/8/11 – President Obama sends two names to Senate
Gregg Jeffrey Costa, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, vice John D. Rainey, retired and Stephanie Dawn Thacker, of West Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit, vice M. Blane Michael, deceased. read full story

9/8/11 – Former Las Vegas attorney meets with Senate panel over appeals court nomination
Evan J. Wallach, a federal judge and former Las Vegas attorney, got a welcoming reception Wednesday from a U.S. Senate committee as it considers elevating him in the judiciary. read full story

9/8/11 – Alaska judicial nominees clear committee
The U.S. Senate will now decide the fate of the nominations of two Alaska judges to the federal bench. read full story

9/8/11 – Casper judge’s nomination heads to Senate floor
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination of Scott Skavdahl of Casper for a federal judgeship Thursday. read full story

9/7/11 – Rockefeller, Manchin tout Groh for confirmation
West Virginia Democrats Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin are urging their fellow Senators to quickly confirm Gina Marie Groh as a federal judge. read full story

9/6/11 – Obama faces crucial period for judicial nominations
With the Senate set to vote on just one judicial nominee as it returns to work on Tuesday, President Obama faces an uphill fight to get federal judges approved and ease a backlog of cases in the courts. read full story

9/6/11 – First African-American woman on Sixth Circuit
The Senate has confirmed Bernice Donald as a judge on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Donald will be the first African-American woman confirmed for that court. read full story

9/6/11 – U.S. Dist. Judge Bernice Donald of Memphis wins confirmation to federal appeals court
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Memphis federal judge Bernice Bouie Donald to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

9/6/11 – Alexander Applauds Senate Confirmation Of Judge Donald For 6th Circuit
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tn.) today applauded the Senate’s vote to confirm U.S. District Court Judge Bernice Donald to serve on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit by a vote of 96 to 2. read full story

9/4/11 – Miami federal Judge Adalberto Jordan on track for appeals court post
Miami federal Judge Adalberto Jordan, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor after graduating from UM law school, is poised to become the first Cuban-born judge on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

9/1/2011 – Goodwin Liu Confirmed to California Supreme Court, sworn in
UC Berkeley School of Law professor Goodwin Liu won confirmation Wednesday as the newest Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. The unanimous vote by the three-member Commission on Judicial Appointments came after Liu’s supporters spoke on his behalf at a public hearing in San Francisco—there was no opposing testimony. Friends, family, and colleagues in the audience broke out into spontaneous applause after the vote. read full story

8/29/11 – California Supreme Court appointee got state bar’s highest rating
UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu, appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to the California Supreme Court, received the state bar’s highest rating of “exceptionally well-qualified,” the court announced Monday. read full story

8/24/11 – PBS NewsHour Video: Debating the Politics of Confirming President Obama’s Judicial Nominees

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

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8/24/11 – Wyomissing lawyer to help review applicants for federal judgeship
Wyomissing attorney Heidi B. Masano has been named to a 20-member merit-selection panel appointed by Pennsylvania's two U.S. senators to review applicants to fill three vacancies on the federal bench for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. read full story

8/23/11 – Korean-American named senior counsel to Obama
Korean-American Christopher Kang was named last week senior counsel to U.S. President Barack Obama for legislative affairs, according to reports on Tuesday. read full story

8/19/11 – Arizona in great need of judges
Arizona's judicial system is suffering, under incredible strain due to a lack of judges. Politicians are busy wrangling over approving President Obama's nominees. And Thursday night Washington's mess spilled over into Tucson. read full story

8/19/11 – White House fights back on judicial nominations
The White House, with an unprecedented number of blocked judicial appointments, has released a new blog post, which reveals that the Republican blocking maneuvers are costing the government $1.4 billion detaining prisoners awaiting trial alone. Moreover, the average wait time of a civil litigant's jury trial is approximately 25 months and 15.9 percent of civil cases in 2010 experienced a wait of 3 years for a revolution. read full story

8/19/11 – White House: Confirming Judges a ‘Top Priority’
The White House is ramping up its information campaign on President Barack Obama's judicial nominees, ahead of a possible push this fall to confirm more judges. read full story

8/17/11 – White House Counsel Brings in New Staff
The office of the White House counsel has undergone a rapid changeover during the weeks since Kathryn Ruemmler took over as President Barack Obama's top lawyer. read full story

8/15/11 – New Members Join Panel That Vets Judges
Two lawyers from the Washington area are among the new members of the American Bar Association committee that screens nominees for the federal judiciary. read full story

8/15/11 – Davis a finalist for Middle District seat
Fourth Judicial Circuit Judge Brian J. Davis is one of four finalists announced for the U.S. District Judge seat for the Middle District of Florida. read full story

8/7/11 – Ron Johnson puts the kibosh on Louis Butler and another judicial nominee
While President Obama has been successful in getting women and minorities confirmed to federal judicial posts, two nominees in Wisconsin, a woman and an African-American, are going nowhere. read full story

8/6/11 – Trio of Louisiana judicial nominees still stuck in Senate limbo
The U.S. Senate took off for its August recess last week without voting on nearly two dozen pending federal court nominees, including three from Louisiana. read full story

8/5/11 – Some movement on the federal judge front for Texas
On Aug. 2, the U.S. Senate confirmed President Barack Obama's second nominee for a federal bench in Texas. Nelda Gonzales Ramos, now judge of the 347th District Court in Corpus Christi, was confirmed to become a U.S. district judge in the Southern District of Texas, says Erica Shabot, a spokeswoman for the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

8/5/11 – Fitchburg’s Hillman in line for federal judgeship in Worcester
Federal Magistrate Judge Timothy S. Hillman of Fitchburg has been recommended to be the next federal judge in Worcester. read full story

8/5/11 – Democrats say GOP senators blocked a vote on Texas judge, 19 others
Democrats blamed Republican leaders in the Senate on Thursday for refusing to confirm 20 federal judicial nominees to fill crucial vacancies in nearly a dozen states including Texas. read full story

8/4/11 – Senate recess leaves judicial nominees in limbo
Democrats blamed the Senate's Republican leaders Thursday for refusing to confirm 20 federal judicial nominees to fill vacancies in nearly a dozen states, including Texas. read full story

8/4/11 – NV’s first Asian judge appointed
For the first time in history, the Nevada judicial system will have an Asian-American member as President Obama nominated Reno attorney Miranda Du to serve in the US District Court. read full story

8/4/11 – DA Mike Green Still Waiting for Judicial Confirmation
The United States Senate approved four judicial nominees before leaving for recess, but Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green was not one of the confirmed candidates. read full story

8/3/11 – Obama Nominates Jordán for Eleventh Circuit Vacancy
President Barack Obama nominated Judge Adalberto José Jordán to serve on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday. read full story

8/3/11 – Obama nominates judge to Atlanta appeals court
President Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated U.S. District Judge Adalberto José Jordán to the federal appeals court in Atlanta. read full story

8/3/11 – Senate confirms Kathleen Williams to federal bench
Federal Public Defender Kathleen Williams has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a district judge, and U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan in Miami was nominated to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. read full story

8/3/11 – Senate approves one Texan for federal judgeship
A South Texas judge from Corpus Christi was one of only four judicial nominees confirmed by the Senate before its month-long recess, leaving nearly two dozen still waiting, officials said Wednesday. read full story

8/3/11 – Four judicial confirmations as Senate calls it quits
The Senate confirmed four district court judicial nominees on Tuesday as the chamber headed into its August recess. On the same day, President Barack Obama announced two new federal judge nominations. read full story

8/3/11 – Green confirmation delayed
Monroe County District Attorney Michael Green will have to wait until at least September for a Senate vote on his nomination to serve as a federal judge in Rochester. read full story

8/3/11 – Senate confirms R. Brooke Jackson to federal bench
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Judge R. Brooke Jackson's nomination to the federal bench in Colorado, filling the second of two Colorado vacancies deemed "judicial emergencies" because of caseloads and the length of time it has taken to fill them. read full story

8/3/11 – U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald faces confirmation vote on Sept. 6
U.S. Dist. Judge Bernice B. Donald will get a confirmation vote in the U.S. Senate on Sept. 6, the first day Congress reconvenes after its five week summer recess, a Senate staffer confirmed this morning. read full story

8/3/11 – Leahy blasts Senate GOP for delaying judicial nominations
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee blasted Senate Republicans Tuesday for perpetuating the country's high rate of judicila vacancies and suggested that the process of judicial confirmation in the Senate has become worse than during other administrations. read full story

8/3/11 – Judiciary chairman blasts Senate GOP for slowing judicial confirmations
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). blasted the Senate GOP on Tuesday night for slowing the upper chamber's pace on confirming President Obama's judicial nominees after 20 were left in limbo for the month-long recess. read full story

8/2/11 – President Obama Nominates Miranda Du to the United States District Court Bench
Today, President Obama nominated Miranda Du to serve on the United States District Court bench for the District of Nevada. read full story

8/2/11 – President Obama Nominates Judge Adalberto José Jordán to the United States Court of Appeals
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Adalberto José Jordánto the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. read full story

8/2/11 – Tallahassee Judge a Finalist for Federal Bench
Second circuit judge Mark Walker has just been named a finalist for a seat on the federal bench. His name, along with those of Gary R. Jones and Monte C. Richardson, has been forwarded to Florida U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio for further consideration. read full story

8/2/11 – List of federal judicial candidates down to 3
The number of candidates to become the next U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Florida has been whittled down to three. The Florida Federal Judicial Nominating Commission met in Tallahassee last week and named the following as finalists for the job: Gary R. Jones, Monte C. Richardson and Mark E. Walker. read full story

8/2/11 – Obama nominates Reno lawyer for federal bench
A Reno lawyer who arrived in the United States as a 9-year-old refugee from South Vietnam has been nominated for a federal judgeship in Nevada. read full story

8/2/11 – Kathy Williams confirmed
The Senate just unanimously confirmed Kathy Williams to sit on the Southern District of Florida. read full story

8/2/11 – Ramos confirmed as federal judge; Judicial dominos could result
Corpus Christi District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos was confirmed today by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate for a federal judgeship. She will replace U.S. District Judge Hayden Head, Jr., the son of a legendary South Texas politico and uncle of U.S. Congressman Blake Farenthold, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. read full story

8/1/11 – Wisconsin Senators address judicial vacancies
In Wisconsin, where a new Republican senator has blocked an appeals court nomination, he and the state’s Democratic senator are giving different views on judicial nominations. read full story

7/30/11 – County jurists eye federal bench
Luzerne County Judges Joseph Van Jura and Joseph Cosgrove confirmed they are among the applicants seeking appointment to three open seats on the federal judiciary. read full story

7/29/11 – Davis Polk Lawyer Nominated for Federal Bench
President Obama on Thursday afternoon nominated Ronnie Abrams, a lawyer at Davis Polk & Wardwell, to serve as a judge in Federal District Court in Manhattan. read full story

7/29/11 – Steve Six’s nomination to Denver’s circuit court all but dead
Kansas Republican Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran may have succeeded Thursday in killing President Obama’s nomination of former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six to Denver’s 10th U.S. Circuit of Appeals. read full story

7/29/11 – Former Colleagues Weigh In on Rudolph Contreras Nomination
During his 17 years with U.S. attorney offices in Washington and Delaware, new judicial nominee Rudolph Contreras earned a reputation as a skilled writer and analyst, handling complex fraud prosecutions as deftly as he defended routine administrative suits against the government, according to former colleagues and superiors. read full story

7/28/11 – President Obama Nominates Judge Evan Jonathan Wallach to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Evan Jonathan Wallach to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Judge Wallach is currently a judge on the United States Court of International Trade. read full story

7/28/11 – President Obama Nominates Two to the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Ronnie Abrams to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and Rudolph Contreras to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. read full story

7/28/11 – At Kansas senators’ request, committee will not consider Steve Six’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., on Thursday said he couldn’t support former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six’s nomination to the federal bench because of Six’s position on the new federal health care reform law and an abortion investigation. read full story

7/28/11 – Abrams, Gillibrand’s first judicial pick, nominated to bench
President Obama on Thursday nominated Ronnie Abrams, an attorney at Davis Polk & Wardwell, to serve as a judge in the Southern District of New York. read full story

7/28/11 – Assistant U.S. Attorney Nominated to D.C. Federal Bench
The White House announced this afternoon that Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph Contreras has been nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. read full story

7/28/11 – International Trade Court Judge Nominated To The Federal Circuit
President Barack Obama today nominated an International Trade Court judge for a slot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. read full story

7/28/11 – Kan. senators block former AG’s appeals court bid
The chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee said Thursday that it will not consider the nomination of former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six to the federal appeals court bench, deferring to opposition from the nominee's Republican home state senators. read full story

7/28/11 – At Kansas senators’ request, committee will not consider Steve Six’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., on Thursday said he couldn’t support former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six’s nomination to the federal bench because of Six’s position on the new federal health care reform law and an abortion investigation. read full story

7/28/11 – Roberts explains opposition to Six
Opposition to former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six's nomination to the federal bench reflected his decision not to challenge a federal health care reform law and his handling of two criminal investigations, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts said Thursday. read full story

7/28/11 – Results of the Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting
The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting to consider pending nominations and legislation on July 28, 2011. read full story

7/28/11 – At Kansas senators’ request, committee will not consider Steve Six’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals
A Senate committee will not consider the nomination of former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six to the federal appeals court. read full story

7/27/11 – Charleston attorney to be nominated for Fourth Circuit opening
Charleston attorney Stephanie Thacker is President Obama's pick to fill an opening on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

7/27/11 – Federal Circuit judgeships in flux
Federal Circuit judge Arthur Gajarsa's announcement that he will assume senior status July 31 leaves one more vacancy on the 12-member panel of the top US IP court. read full story

7/27/11 – Senate considers Zipps to replace John Roll on backlogged federal court
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer Guerin Zipps faced a friendly Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday on her nomination to fill the seat of U.S. District Judge John Roll, who was slain in the Jan. 8 attack that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. read full story

7/27/11 – Arizona judicial nominee put on fast track
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer Zipps appeared on Wednesday for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The hearing came five weeks after President Barack Obama nominated Zipps — a faster schedule than senators have been following for other recent judicial nominees. read full story

7/27/11 – NY judicial report: Three nominees get hearings, one confirmed
Three judicial nominees to the Southern District of New York went before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, a day after another nominee, Paul Engelmayer, was confirmed unanimously by the Senate. read full story

7/26/11 – Jerry Brown nominates Goodwin Liu to California Supreme Court
Gov. Jerry Brown nominated UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu to the California Supreme Court Tuesday, giving the state high court a fourth Asian justice and a collegial liberal who is likely to be strongly supportive of civil rights. read full story

7/26/11 – Goodwin Liu picked for California Supreme Court
Two months after U.S. Senate Republicans forced law professor Goodwin Liu to withdraw as a nominee for federal court, Liu is up for a spot on California's top state court. read full story

7/26/11 – Brown nominates Goodwin Liu to state high court
Goodwin Liu, the UC Berkeley law professor whose federal appeals court appointment was blocked by Senate Republicans, was nominated by Gov. Jerry Brown today to the California Supreme Court. read full story

7/26/11 – Governor Brown Nominates Goodwin Liu for California Supreme Court
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. nominated Goodwin Liu, Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley Law School, to the state Supreme Court today. read full story

7/26/11 – Southern District of Florida Judicial Nominating Commission sends four names to Senators
The next federal judge in the Southern District of Florida will be one of these four people: Jerald Bagley, John O'Sullivan, Robin Rosenbaum, or John Thornton. read full story

7/26/11 – Senator Leahy Speaks Out on Behalf of Stalled SD FL Judicial Nominations
Chief Judge Moreno has started writing letters in hopes of getting Kathy Williams and Bob Scola confirmed as judges sometime this century. read full story

7/26/11 – Senate Confirms 2 District Court Judges, Dozens of Nominees Still Await Votes
Today the Senate confirmed Paul Engelmayer to the Southern District of New York on a vote of 98-0, and Ramona Manglona to a 10-year term on the District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands on a voice vote. Both nominations were reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee without opposition nearly four months ago. read full story

7/26/11 – Wilmer partner headed for judgeship
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously today to confirm Paul Engelmayer, the partner in charge of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr's New York office, for a federal judgeship. read full story

7/25/11 – Loyola law professor reaches final step in appointment to federal bench
The nomination process for Loyola University New Orleans College of Law associate professor and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Higginson to fill a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has reached its final step. read full story

7/25/11 – Sen. Johnson’s Former Campaign Aide Criticizes Him for Holding Up Judicial Nominee
It’s not every day that a former campaign aide publicly breaks with his boss. But last week, Kevin Binversie, who served as the campaign research director for Wis. Sen. Ron Johnson, did just that. read full story

7/25/11 – Reid cancels Senate confirmation votes due to foul weather
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) canceled two judicial confirmation votes scheduled for Monday afternoon, saying a storm system had delayed senators in their travel to Washington, D.C. read full story

7/25/11 – US Senate to vote today on Manglona’s confirmation
The full U.S. Senate will vote on Monday afternoon, July 25, Washington D.C. time, the final step in the confirmation process of Judge Ramona Villagomez Manglona to be the judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. read full story

7/24/11 – Nuffer federal bench nomination part of Obama appointee trend
If U.S. Magistrate David Nuffer becomes Utah’s newest federal judge, his path to a lifetime appointment of deciding disputes will be an increasingly common one: magistrates are more often being appointed to federal judgeships. read full story

7/23/11 – Judge Muir dies at 96
A local judicial icon worked for the people until the almost minute he succumbed. Four days ago, U.S. Middle District Court Senior Judge Malcolm Muir, who died Friday at age 96, was busy in his chambers working on Social Security appeal cases, according to court officials and colleagues. read full story

7/22/11 – Senate panel backs Robert Mariani for federal judge
Attorney Robert D. Mariani is a big step closer to becoming a federal judge. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously on a voice vote Thursday to send President Barack Obama's nomination of Mr. Mariani along to the full Senate for a final vote. read full story

7/22/11 – Judicial vacancy crisis only getting worse
Nan Aron of the Alliance For Justice notes that officially, because judges are retiring faster than Obama is nominating them and the Senate is confirming them, the number of judicial vacancies is higher than it was at the beginning of the year. read full story

7/22/11 – Senate committee OKs Mariani nod
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved the federal judicial nomination of Scranton labor lawyer Robert Mariani. read full story

7/21/11 – Arkansas senators recommend prosecutor, attorney and commission chair to fill judge post
Arkansas Sens. Mark Pryor and John Boozman have recommended three individuals for the open federal judge position in the Eastern District of Arkansas. read full story

7/21/11 – Two federal judge nominees recommended to full Senate
A pair of Western Pennsylvania nominees moved one step closer to confirmation as U.S. District Court judges this morning. read full story

7/21/11 – Droney Gets Unanimous OK From Senate Judiciary Committee
The U.S. Senate's Judiciary Committee approved U.S. District Judge Christopher Droney's nomination to the federal appeals court by a unanimous voice vote Thursday morning, sending the appointment to almost certain approval in the full Senate. read full story

7/21/11 – Results of Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting
The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting to consider pending nominations and legislation on July 21, 2011. read full story

7/21/11 – Senators Cornyn, Hutchison recommend Costa & Guaderram for the federal bench
U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), today sent a letter to President Obama recommending Gregg J. Costa and David C. Guaderrama to fill the judicial vacancies for the Southern District of Texas in Galveston and Western District of Texas in El Paso. read full story

7/21/11 – Michael Fitzgerald nominated for federal judgeship
President Obama nominated attorney Michael Fitzgerald to the federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, making Fitzgerald the first openly gay nominee for a federal judgeship in California. read full story

7/21/11 – Chief Judge starts letter writing campaign for Kathy Williams and Bob Scola
Congrats to Bob Scola, who received a unanimous voice vote today getting out of the judiciary committee. read full story

7/20/11 – President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate Michael Walter Fitzgerald to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
Today, President Obama announced his nomination of Michael Walter Fitzgerald to the United States District Court for the Central District of California. read full story

7/20/11 – Obama to nominate fourth openly gay judicial candidate
President Barack Obama intends on Wednesday to nominate the fourth openly gay judicial candidate of his administration to U.S. district court, according to a White House official. read full story

7/20/11 – California court gets gay nominee
Moments ago, President Obama nominated Michael Fitzgerald to serve as a U.S. District Court judge for the Central District of California. He is the fourth openly-gay nominee that the Administration has put forward to fill seats in our Article III courts. read full story

7/20/11 – President Obama nominates gay L.A. lawyer to U.S. District Court
President Obama announced Wednesday that he is nominating Los Angeles attorney Michael Walter Fitzgerald to serve as a judge on the federal court for the Central District of California. read full story

7/20/11 – Senators push El Pasoan David Guaderrama for federal judgeship
Both of Texas' senators on Tuesday recommended U.S. Magistrate Judge David Guaderrama of El Paso to fill a vacant federal judgeship. read full story

7/20/11 – Pryor ready with federal judge picks
U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor has completed a list of three candidates for the White House to consider for a vacant federal district judgeship in the eastern district of Arkansas. (It has been open since Judge James Moody took senior status.) All are women and one is an African-American. read full story

7/19/11 – Obama urged to fill two federal bench vacancies
U.S. Magistrate Judge David Guaderrama in El Paso and assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Costa of Houston were recommended to the White House on Tuesday for nomination to the federal bench in Texas. read full story

7/19/11 – Boozman joins small opposition to gay judge
The Senate confirmed President Obama's nomination of Paul Oetken to a federal judgeship, the first openly gay man to be confirmed, though not the first gay federal judge. In a time when most nominations are enduring delays and opposition, it's notable that Oetken was confirmed 80-13. read full story

7/19/11 – Legal Experts Challenge Sen. Johnson’s Judicial Hold
A group of legal academicians from around the U.S. is protesting Sen. Ron Johnson’s successful obstruction of a nomination to the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

7/19/11 – Academics champion colleague’s nomination to 7th Circuit
A group of law professors and administrators are rallying behind the stalled nomination of University of Wisconsin Law Professor Victoria Nourse to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. read full story

7/18/11 – Oetken Approved By U.S. Senate, Is First Out Gay Man OK’ed for Federal Judgeship
Today, in a 80-13 vote completed at a little past 6:10 p.m., the Senate approved the nomination of out gay attorney J. Paul Oetken to serve as a federal disctrict court judge in the Southern District of New York. The move came with no opposition from Senate Democrats and a majority of the Republicans supporting the nomination as well. read full story

7/18/11 – Federal judges are retiring at twice the rate new judges are being confirmed
Later today, the Senate will hold a confirmation vote on Paul Oetken’s nomination to a federal judgeship in New York City. If confirmed, Oetken will be the first of President Obama’s three openly-gay nominees to join the bench — but he will also be only the fourth new federal judge in two months. read full story

7/18/11 – UW-Madison Law Professor judicial appointment held up by U.S. Sen. Johnson
Law professors from around the country are slamming Wisconsin U.S. Senator Ron Johnson. read full story

7/18/11 – Johnson’s block of UW judicial nominee draws criticism
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson's decision to block the judicial nomination of a University of Wisconsin law professor has drawn a pointed letter of protest by a group of legal academics from around the country. read full story

7/18/11 – Senate confirms first openly gay man to federal bench
J. Paul Oetken on Monday became the first openly gay man confirmed to the federal bench. read full story

7/18/11 – Oetken gets confirmation as SDNY judge
By a vote of 80 to 13, the Senate on Monday confirmed the nomination of J. Paul Oetken to a seat on the Southern District of New York, the Manhattan federal trial court where vacancies are at the highest point since the early 1990s. read full story

7/18/11 – Openly gay judge confirmed
The Senate on Monday voted 80-13 to confirm Paul Oetken, making him the first openly gay male federal judge. read full story

7/18/11 – Senate Due to Vote on Judicial Nomination of Openly Gay Lawyer
The U.S. Senate is due today to vote on the nomination of J. Paul Oetken for a federal judgeship in New York City. read full story

7/15/11 – Obama’s Out Judicial Nominees: Two Moving Forward, One Stalled
For President Barack Obama's out LGBT judicial nominees, two of the three -- both of whom formerly worked in the White House under a Democratic administration -- have seen their nominations move forward with relative ease and speed. The third -- the first out gay appellate judicial nominee in the country's history -- has not. read full story

7/15/11 – Obama’s Nominations Team Described as Insular, Lacking Energy
A new academic article says President Barack Obama's legal shop has been trying to cut down on its interaction with academics, activists and Justice Department lawyers, restricting the flow of information about how Obama's lawyers select new federal judges. read full story

7/14/11 – Senate Judiciary Committee approves Higginson and Triche-Milazzo judicial nominations
The Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday approved the nominations of Stephen Higginson of New Orleans for the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th U.S. Circuit, and Jane M. Triche-Milazzo of Napoleonville for a federal District Court seat in the Eastern District of Louisiana. read full story

7/14/11 – Humor, tough questions mark judges’ confirmation hearings
Alaska Justice Morgan Christen mixed it up with Sen. Al Franken. Sharon Gleason, an Alaska Superior Court judge, took tough questions from Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa. And they both got a nod of approval from Sen. Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican who's the former chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

7/14/11 – Committee Backs Judicial Nominees, Including Two for SDNY
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to move ahead with five of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees, including two for the high-profile U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. read full story

7/14/11 – East Bay judge likely as 1st Latina on S.F. court
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday gave Alameda County Superior Court judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers the green light for confirmation as a federal judge in San Francisco. She would be the first Latina on the court. read full story

7/14/11 – White House Nominations Chief Headed to Harvard
Susan Davies, the deputy White House counsel in charge of the nominations process for potential federal judges, is leaving the Obama administration to teach at Harvard Law School, according to a news release today from the school. read full story

7/14/11 – Grassley hints at trouble ahead for lesbian judicial nominee
There was a hint of trouble ahead for the nomination of lesbian attorney Alison Nathan to the U.S. District Court for Southern New York. read full story

7/14/11 – Two Alaskan judges on path to federal bench
Two Alaskan judges passed a first test Wednesday on their way to jobs on the federal bench. But there’s still far to go before either woman can serve. read full story

7/14/11 – Houston native could be San Francisco’s first Latina federal judge
A Houston native is in line to become the first Latina federal judge in Northern California history. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday gave Alameda County Superior Court judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, the green light for confirmation as a federal judge in San Francisco. read full story

7/14/11 – Vote on Droney postponed
Republicans on the U.S. Senate's Judiciary Committee have asked for another week to consider the almost certain appointment of Hartford District Judge Christopher F. Droney to the federal appeals court. read full story

7/14/11 – Alison Nathan One Step Closer to Becoming Federal Judge
This morning, by a 14 to 4 vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent Alison Nathan’s nomination to become a federal judge to the Senate floor. read full story

7/14/11 – Ark nominee for fed bench clears Senate panel with some reservation
With some reservations, the Senate Judiciary Committee today approved the nomination of Circuit Judge Susan Hickey to serve on the federal bench in western Arkansas. read full story

7/14/11 – Sen. Pryor close to sending names to White House for federal judgeship
No word yet from Sen. Mark Pryor's office, but he's said to be close to sending new names to the White House for an open federal judgeship in the eastern district of Arkansas. Two we hear: Jane Duke, a member of the U.S. attorney's office who served as Interim U.S. Attorney, and Kris Baker. She's a lawyer in the Quattlebaum firm. read full story

7/14/11 – Judicial nominees draw warnings from Sen. Grassley
Five federal judicial nominees were confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, even as the committee's top Republican, Senator Charles Grassley, delivered a stern warning about what he called some nominees' lack of experience. read full story

7/14/11 – Senate Judiciary Committee approves Higginson and Triche-Milazzo judicial nominations
The Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday approved the nominations of Stephen Higginson of New Orleans for the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th U.S. Circuit, and Jane M. Triche-Milazzo of Napoleonville for a federal District Court seat in the Eastern District of Louisiana. read full story

7/14/11 – Six endorsed by judge he would replace
Former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six was endorsed by the former federal judge he has been nominated to replace, the Lawrence Journal-World reported. “I can say with confidence that Stephen Six possesses the demeanor, intellect and integrity that characterizes the finest judges in the nation,” Deanell Reece Tacha wrote in a letter to U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which plans to debate Six’s nomination today. read full story

7/14/11 – Six’s bid to appeals court remains in limbo
Former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six's nomination to the federal appeals court remains in limbo. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote Thursday to advance Six's nomination to the full Senate but the vote was not held. read full story

7/14/11 – White House veterans headed to Harvard Law School
Several legal experts, officers and aides will be leaving the White House staff to teach or study at Harvard Law School this fall. read full story

7/14/11 – Humor, tough questions mark judges’ confirmation hearings
Alaska Justice Morgan Christen mixed it up with Sen. Al Franken. Sharon Gleason, an Alaska Superior Court judge, took tough questions from Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa. And they both got a nod of approval from Sen. Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican who's the former chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

7/13/11 – Skavdahl Does Well at Senate Hearing
U.S. Magistrate Scott Skavdahl got one step closer Wednesday to being sworn in as a U.S. District Judge for Wyoming. read full story

7/13/2011 – Ex-Kan. A.G.’s bid for appeals judge faces vote
Former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six’s bid for a federal appeals judgeship has gained strong support within legal circles ahead of a critical vote in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday amid opposition from anti-abortion groups. read full story

7/13/11 – Former Kan. AG gets support for nomination to appeals court
Pepperdine University law dean Deanell Reece Tacha, in a letter to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, says she supports former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six's nomination to a federal appeals court. read full story

7/11/11 – Judge Deanell Tacha supports former Kansas AG Steve Six’s nomination to her position on appellate court
Former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six is getting support of the judge he’s trying to replace on the federal appellate bench as the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee plans to debate his nomination on Thursday. read full story

7/11/11 – Two LGBT individuals named to tax court
President Obama has nominated two HRC-endorsed and openly-gay individuals to the Federal Tax Court: Albert Lauber and Judge Joseph Gale. Both Mr. Lauber and Judge Gale are extremely well-qualified to serve on the U.S. Tax Court, the principal court for resolution of tax disputes between taxpayers and the Federal government. In a statement following the nomination of Mr. Lauber and Judge Gale, President Obama remarked that he was proud to nominate both men and praised their “unwavering integrity and a firm commitment to public service throughout their careers.” read full story

7/11/11 – Skavdahl nomination set for hearing this week
Scott W. Skavdahl is scheduled for a confirmation hearing this week before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on his nomination for a federal court judgeship in Wyoming. read full story

7/7/11 – District Judge William Zloch attempted to derail Kathleen Williams’ appointment
U.S. District Judge William Zloch has attempted to derail President Obama's nomination of Federal Public Defender Kathleen Williams to serve on the same federal bench where he presides, letters obtained by the Daily Business Review show. read full story

7/7/11 – 2 more names surface for federal judgeships in Chicago
Two more names have surfaced as candidates for federal judgeships in Chicago: Thomas Durkin and Joshua Berman. read full story

7/7/11 – Korean-American recommended as federal judge
John Z. Lee, a 44-year-old Korean-American attorney, has been recommended to the White House for a position as a federal judge in Illinois. read full story

7/7/11 – Durbin, Kirk judge 5 local lawyers ready for the bench
With three vacancies on the federal bench in Chicago, the names of five area lawyers have been shipped to President Barack Obama for consideration for judgeships. read full story

7/6/11 – Kirk and Durbin eye local attorneys for federal judge bench
U.S. Sens. Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin this week recommended to President Obama high-profile attorneys from Oak Park and River Forest for spots on Chicago's federal bench, the Chicago Tribune is reporting. read full story

7/6/11 – Durbin recommends 4 for federal bench
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois has given the White House the names of four Chicago area lawyers he would like to see appointed to the federal court bench in Chicago, the senator’s office said Wednesday. read full story

7/6/11 – State’s chief federal judge to step down
The chief judge of New Jersey’s federal court system has informed President Obama he will be stepping down from that position in January. read full story

7/5/11 – Kirk recommends former prosecutor for federal bench
Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk today is recommending former federal prosecutor John Tharp for a seat on the federal bench in Chicago. read full story

7/5/11 – Kirk pushes corruption fighting judge

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7/5/11 – Sen. Kirk makes first judicial recommendation: John Tharp
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) made his first federal judicial recommendation on Tuesday, Mayer Brown's John Tharp, a former prosecutor. Kirk and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) have a power sharing arrangement (Illinois senators have done versions of this deal for years) where the senator of the party in control of the White House does not hog all the judicial appointments. Kirk and Durbin are continuing a 3:1 ratio, with the party in power getting most of the picks. This system means that in the federal courts in Illinois, judges won't be picked just from one party. read full story

6/30/11 – New federal judicial nominee
Thomas Owen Rice, a longtime federal prosecutor in Eastern Washington, has been nominated by President Obama as a U.S. District Court judge to serve the eastern part of the state, the White House announced on Wednesday. read full story

6/30/11 – Obama makes southern Mississippi U.S. Attorney nomination
President Barack Obama on Wednesday tapped Gregory K. Davis to lead the Southern District of Mississippi U.S. Attorney's office. read full story

6/29/11 – Veteran Prosecutor-Turned-Magistrate Nominated to Replace Slain Arizona Judge
President Obama nominated candidates to fill two federal judgeships in Tucson, Ariz., including the seat left vacant when John Roll, chief judge for the District of Arizona, was killed in a mass shooting. read full story

6/29/11 – Rice nominated for federal judgeship
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice was nominated today by President Barack Obama for a federal judgeship in Spokane. read full story

6/29/11 – Obama nominates Utah magistrate to be U.S. district judge
President Barack Obama has handed a promotion to a magistrate judge in Utah, an attempt to fill a vacancy on the state’s federal bench that has remained open since November 2009. read full story

6/29/11 – Obama nominates Utah judge for U.S. District Court
President Barack Obama has nominated Judge David Ogden Nuffer to become a federal judge at the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. read full story

6/30/11 – Rare agreement on Capitol Hill over confirmation process
The normally grid-locked U.S. Senate — Democrats, Republicans, independents — came together and overwhelmingly passed a bill to reduce its workload, curb its power and perhaps even decrease partisan fighting. read full story

6/29/11 – President Obama nominates two to the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Thomas Owen Rice and Judge David Ogden Nuffer to United States District Court judgeships. read full story

6/28/11 – Investiture ceremony ends 2-year journey to federal bench in R.I. for John J. McConnell Jr.
A federal appeals court judge with a flair for words joked that he would have preferred to prepare an address for Monday’s ceremony honoring John J. McConnell Jr. as Rhode Island’s newest federal judge. read full story

6/28/11 – Wednesday: Senate votes scheduled on judicial streamlining bill
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) managed to strike a deal with Republican senators Tuesday night that allowed him to schedule a vote on final passage on legislation that would streamline the judicial confirmation process in the Senate. The Senate meets at 9:30 a.m. to begin this work. read full story

6/27/11 – Gingrich and Romney talk judges
It’s not just Pawlenty anymore: We now have seen at least two more presidential candidates bring up their philosophy of judicial nominations. read full story

6/27/11 – Operation Rescue Calls on Obama to Withdraw Steve Six’s Judicial Nomination
"Based on the lack of support by Senators from Six's home state and Six's proven willingness to allow political and personal biases influence his professional decisions, Pres. Obama should spare the nation a protracted and divisive battle over this nominee and withdraw his name from consideration," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. read full story

6/27/11 – White House wants new names for federal judgeship
A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor confirms that the White House wants to start over on potential nominees for a vacant federal judgeship in Little Rock. read full story

6/27/11 – Austin jurist to get nod for job

read full story

6/27/11 – Grassley Keeps Up Critique of SDNY Nominee
Alison Nathan, a former associate White House counsel who's been nominated for a federal judgeship in the Southern District of New York, continues to face pointed questions from the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

6/27/11 – House bill aims to add 38 judges across Southwest
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, introduced a bill Friday in the U.S. House of Representatives that would add 38 new permanent judgeships and seven temporary judgeships to overburdened federal district courts in four U.S. states along the Mexican border. read full story

6/27/11 – Grassley Keeps Up Critique of SDNY Nominee
Alison Nathan, a former associate White House counsel who's been nominated for a federal judgeship in the Southern District of New York, continues to face pointed questions from the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

6/24/11 – Mariani judgeship confirmation vote could come in July
The Senate Judiciary Committee could vote as early as July on the nomination of local labor lawyer Robert D. Mariani as a U.S. District Court judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, a committee spokeswoman said Thursday. read full story

6/23/11 – Nominees for federal court in New Orleans must wait longer
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has delayed a vote on the nominations of Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Higginson and Louisiana District Court Judge Jane Margaret Triche-Milazzo to the federal bench in New Orleans at the request of the panel's top Republican. read full story

6/23/11 – Obama addresses judge shortage
President Obama on Thursday sought to address concerns in Arizona over a shortage of federal judges in the state, nominating two to the district court. read full story

6/23/11 – Obama nominates Tucson lawyer and judge for federal bench
Two of President Obama's nominees for the United States District Court Bench are University of Arizona alumni who have worked in Tucson and Arizona for years. read full story

6/23/11 – President Obama Nominates Two to the United States District Court Bench
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Jennifer Guerin Zipps and Rosemary Márquez to serve on the United States District Court bench. read full story

6/23/11 – Scranton lawyer advances toward federal judgeship
Following the letter of the law and adhering to higher court precedents would guide his actions on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, not his years as a labor lawyer, Scranton attorney Robert Mariani told a Senate committee Wednesday. read full story

6/23/11 – At long last, Obama nominates judges for Arizona
After a long wait, President Barack Obama has nominated two judges to the federal bench in Arizona -- a move that could help ameliorate a judicial emergency that was formally declared there due to a surging caseload and three judicial vacancies. read full story

6/23/11 – Judicial Nominations Pops Up as Issue in Presidential Race
The presidential campaign of Republican Tim Pawlenty is out with an advertisement this week that touts his record appointing conservative judges to the Minnesota Supreme Court. read full story

6/23/11 – President Obama Nominates Two to the United States District Court Bench
WASHINGTON- Today, President Obama nominated Judge Jennifer Guerin Zipps and Rosemary Márquez to serve on the United States District Court bench. read full story

6/22/11 – Droney Breezes Through D.C. Confirmation Hearing For 2nd Circuit
Federal Judge Christopher F. Droney's appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit appeared assured Wednesday after he was warmly received by Senators of both parties at a confirmation hearing in Washington. read full story

6/22/11 – Droney gets a brief and cordial hearing on appeals court nomination
The Senate Judiciary Committee gave Connecticut's Christopher Droney a light and breezy 15-minute quizzing at his confirmation hearing Wednesday, with no hard-ball or hostile questions for the appeals court nominee. read full story

6/21/11 – After almost a year, Senate confirms district court nominee
The Senate today confirmed Perkins Coie partner Michael H. Simon to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, by a vote of 64 to 35. read full story

6/21/11 – U.S. Senate confirms Portland attorney Michael Simon as Oregon federal judge
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Portland lawyer Michael Simon to be Oregon's next federal judge, ending a journey that was both longer and bumpier than expected and one that lawmakers said highlighted the dysfunction gripping the nomination process. read full story

6/20/11 – 2 DCA judges seek spot on federal bench
Judges James R. Wolf, appointed to the court in 1990 and Joseph Lewis Jr., appointed in 2001, are the latest in a string of judges at the embattled appellate court seeking other jobs. read full story

6/20/11 – Senate to consider Michael Simon for federal judge
On Tuesday, June 21, 2011, the Senate will proceed to executive session to consider the nomination of Michael H. Simon, of Oregon, to be United States District Judge for the District of Oregon read full story

6/19/11 – Six faces tough bid for seat on court
Former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six’s bid for a seat on a federal appeals court has gotten more difficult now that his two home state senators have come out against it, with his nomination now debated Thursday by the U.S. Senate judiciary committee. read full story

6/17/11 – Obama unhappy Sen. Moran opposing Six; vote delayed
An unhappy White House called Kansas’ U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran’s office Thursday, in response to his public statement opposing confirmation of former Kansas AG Steve Six to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

6/17/11 – Michael Green moves step closer to confirmation
Monroe County District Attorney Michael Green's nomination to serve as a federal judge is headed to the full Senate following a vote Thursday by the Judiciary Committee. read full story

6/17/11 – Senator digs into past of former U.S. Attorney in D.C.
The nomination of Wilma Lewis for a federal judgeship is giving one Republican senator a chance to revisit Lewis' tenure as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. read full story

6/16/11 – Second LGBT judicial nominee for D.C. Superior Court receives hearing
Yesterday, Jennifer Di Toro was questioned before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs on her qualifications to be appointed to serve as Associate Justices of the D.C. Superior Court. Di Toro was nominated by the President on February 3, 2011. If confirmed, Di Toro will by the second openly-LGBT nominee to be appointed to the D.C. Superior Court by the President. In April of 2010, Marisa Demeo was confirmed by the Senate for appointment to the D.C. Superior Court. read full story

6/16/11 – Both KS Senators oppose Kansan Steve Six federal court nomination
The two U.S. Senators from Kansas, Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, have announced their opposition to Obama U.S. Court of Appeals nominee Steve Six. read full story

6/16/11 – Legal Lasso: Six’s nomination to Denver circuit faces senatorial opposition
Both of the U.S. Senators from Kansas, Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, say they will oppose the nomination of a fellow Kansan, former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six, to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. Six is a Democrat nominated to the court by President Barack Obama. read full story

6/16/11 – Vote on former Kansas attorney general delayed
Former Kansas attorney general Steve Six will have to wait another week to see if his bid for a federal appeals court seat will move ahead. read full story

6/16/11 – Marina Marmolejo one step closer to Laredo federal judgeship
President Barack Obama’s nomination of lawyer Marina Garcia Marmolejo to the federal judicial bench in Laredo was approved Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

6/16/11 – Senate committee clears Green for federal judgeship
Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green is a step closer today to becoming a federal judge. read full story

6/16/11 – Results of Senate Executive Business meeting leads to Steve Six being held over
The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting to consider pending nominations and legislation on June 16, 2011. read full story

6/15/11 – Moran adds his opposition to Six’s nomination to U.S. court
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said today he will vote against former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six's nomination to the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals read full story

6/15/11 – More women among Obama judicial picks
President Obama has named a significantly higher percentage of women to openings on the federal bench than did his predecessors, according to newly issued data. read full story

6/15/11 – Senate approves two for federal judgeships
Two federal magistrates sitting in Newark were unanimously approved for promotion to U.S. District Court judgeships by the Senate on Tuesday. read full story

6/14/11 – Senate confirms two new judges after month-long dry spell
After nearly an entire month without any judicial confirmation votes whatsoever, the Senate finally voted to confirm two new federal judges. At this rate, the bench is currently emptying out due to retirements faster than new judges are being confirmed. read full story

6/13/11 – Senate to consider two judicial nominations
On Tuesday, June 14, 2011, the Senate will proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations: Claire C. Cecchi, of New Jersey, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey, and Esther Salas, of New Jersey, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey. read full story

6/13/11 – RI Convention Center to host McConnell’s formal ceremony
The U.S. District Court in Rhode Island will hold Judge John J. “Jack” McConnell Jr.’s public investiture ceremony at the Rhode Island Convention Center in order to have enough room for the big crowd that’s expected. read full story

6/13/11 – White House poised to take on judicial vacancy crisis
In an incredibly rare public appearance in February, White House counsel Bob Bauer warned that the political standoff over judicial nominees was threatening the very fabric of government. read full story

6/10/11 – Grassley grills lesbian nominee for federal court
Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa challenged Nathan about her qualifications during the June 8 hearing, noting that the American Bar Association’s proposed standards for judicial nominees suggest “at least 12 years’ experience in the practice of law” and “substantial courtroom and trial experience.” read full story

6/10/11 – Female judicial nominees’ qualifications questioned
At a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the panel’s senior Republican raised questions about the qualifications of four nominees for federal district court openings. All four nominees are women. read full story

6/10/11 – Senate to return to judicial nominees next week
After a four-week pause in considering nominees for the federal bench, the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote next week on two nominees for district court. read full story

6/9/11 – DA Green’s nomination slowed
District Attorney Michael Green’s nomination for the federal judiciary was one among a batch of judicial nominees “held over” by the Senate Judiciary Committee today for a later vote. While the action seemed uneventful, there was one indication that Green’s appointment to the federal bench could still have some hurdles. read full story

6/9/11 – Federal prosecutors nominated for southern, eastern districts
President Barack Obama has nominated two U.S. prosecutors for the federal bench in New York City. Jesse M. Furman, 39, the deputy chief of appeals for the Southern District U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, has been tapped for a slot on the Southern District bench. Margo Brodie, 42, deputy chief of the criminal division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, has been nominated to fill an Eastern District vacancy. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Ms. Brodie, a native of Antigua, would become the nation's first Caribbean-born federal judge. read full story

6/9/11 – Clerks Support Alison Nathan
Alison Nathan has been nominated for a judgeship on the Southern District of New York, and I was very impressed by this letter in support of her nomination signed by almost the entire complement of law clerks who clerked on the Supreme Court when Alison was clerking for Justice Stevens. Of particular interest, I believe the letter is signed by all of the Thomas, Scalia, Rehnquist and Kennedy clerks that Term who are not presently in government service (one Thomas clerk is a judge; a Rehnquist clerk is an AUSA; and a Kennedy clerk is a state SG). read full story

6/8/11 – Bisson, Hornak endorsed for federal judge seats
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., has endorsed Cathy Bisson and Mark R. Hornak to be federal judges in the Western District of Pennsylvania, allowing the Senate Judiciary Committee to move forward with their confirmations. read full story

6/8/11 – Obama nominates commercial attorney Susie Morgan of New Orleans as judge for Eastern District of Louisiana
President Barack Obama has nominated a commercial litigation attorney from New Orleans as a judge for the federal district court headquartered in New Orleans. read full story

6/8/11 – Michael Green’s approval to U.S. bench increasingly likely
Monroe County District Attorney Michael C. Green's written responses to questions about his fitness for a job on the federal bench appear to raise no issues that would threaten his nomination. read full story

6/8/11 – New York federal benches get nominations, hearings
Judicial nominations for federal benches in New York are moving ahead this week: the White House on Tuesday nominated two more names, and two other nominees are scheduled to go before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. read full story

6/8/11 – Grassley critiques qualifications of four judicial nominees
The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee expressed skepticism today about the qualifications of four nominees for federal district court, including two for the high-profile Southern District of New York. read full story

6/8/11 – Obama nominates another local lawyer
President Barack Obama has nominated local alumna Margo Kitsy Brodie to become a Brooklyn federal court judge, continuing a minor trend in the area. read full story

6/8/11 – Louisiana nominees for federal bench cruise through Senate hearing
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Higginson and Jane Margaret Triche-Milazzo, a state District Court judge from Napoleonville, appeared headed for confirmation to the federal bench after a noncontentious hearing Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

6/8/11 – Hickey breezes through confirmation hearing
Circuit Judge Susan Hickey received a friendly reception today before the Senate Judiciary Committee that is considering her nomination to fill a seat on the federal bench in western Arkansas. read full story

6/7/11 – President Obama nominates four to the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Margo Kitsy Brodie, Jesse M. Furman, Susie Morgan, and Mary Elizabeth Phillips to seats on the United States District Court. read full story

6/7/11 – Green working through nomination process
The nomination of Monroe County District Attorney Michael C. Green for a federal judgeship is on the agenda Thursday for an executive business meeting of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. read full story

6/7/11 – Nominated for federal bench, former Kansas attorney general defends record
Former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six turned in 21 pages of responses Monday to written questions U.S. senators filed after last month’s hearing on his nomination to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

6/7/11 – Obama nominates U.S. Attorney Phillips for federal bench
President Obama on Tuesday nominated U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips for a federal judgeship. read full story

6/7/11 – Scranton attorney gains support for federal judgeship
Robert Mariani, an attorney based in Scranton, has picked up key support for a federal judgeship appointment for a seat on the Middle District of Pennsylvania bench. read full story

6/6/11 – Lesbian judicial nominee gets confirmation hearing Wednesday
Lesbian federal court nominee Alison Nathan will have her confirmation hearing Wednesday, June 8. read full story

6/2/11 – Bauer leaving, Ruemmler in as White House counsel
President Barack Obama's top lawyer at the White House is resigning to return to private practice and represent Obama as his personal attorney and as general counsel to Obama's re-election campaign. read full story

6/2/11 – Arizona in judicial crisis
The shooting spree that critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed U.S. District Court Judge John Roll has kept national attention on the tragedy in Tucson, Ariz. Behind the scenes, it also worsened a problem that had preoccupied both Giffords and Roll: Arizona’s short-staffed federal judiciary, an urgent example of federal judicial vacancies across the nation. read full story

6/1/11 – Legal groups publish guide to becoming a judge
Frustrated by the lack of centralized information on the process for becoming a federal judge, a coalition of legal groups has created its own booklet about the process. read full story

5/28/11 – Three lawyers being considered for judgeship
The field of candidates has been winnowed down to three from the McAllen, Brownsville and Corpus Christi area. Their names are not being released. The South Texas Congressional Delegation has submitted the names to the Texas Democratic Delegation and if it approves the candidates, the names will be forwarded to President Barack Obama for his nomination. read full story

5/28/11 – Judge, lawyer nominated for federal appeals court
U.S. Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree are recommending that President Obama nominate a Maine Supreme Judicial Court justice or a Portland lawyer to fill Maine's sole seat on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

5/27/11 – Senate panel OKs Torresen as next Maine federal judge
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to approve the nomination of Nancy Torresen to be Maine's next federal court judge. read full story

5/26/11 – Blocked by GOP, Liu gives up on federal judgeship
BERKELEY -- Goodwin Liu, the UC Berkeley law professor whose candidacy for the federal appeals court in San Francisco was derailed by Senate Republicans last week, asked PresidentObama to withdraw his nomination Wednesday. read full story

5/26/11 – Liu calls it quits in quest for judgeship
Goodwin Liu, a polarizing Obama administration judicial candidate, has asked the president to withdraw his nomination from consideration for an appeals court judgeship after his bid was blocked last week in the Senate by a Republican filibuster. read full story

5/26/11 – Blocked by Senate Republicans, Liu withdraws his nomination
Goodwin Liu, a longtime Obama administration judicial nominee whose confirmation has been blocked by Senate Republicans, has thrown in the towel. read full story

5/26/11 – UC Berkeley professor withdraws nomination
UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu said in a letter to President Barack Obama Wednesday that he is bowing out of the nomination process to an appeals court position, as he felt there was not much chance the Senate would confirm his nomination, according to major media outlets. read full story

5/26/11 – Results of Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting
The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting to consider pending nominations and legislation on May 26, 2011. read full story

5/26/11 – GOP obstruction of Obama nominees has become the norm, not the exception
So Berkeley Law Professor Goodwin Liu has asked president Obama to withdraw his nomination to be a judge on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, following a Republican filibuster of his nomination last week. read full story

5/25/11 – Liu Withdraws Judicial Nomination
University of California (Berkeley) law professor Goodwin Liu withdrew his nomination to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday after a prolonged confirmation fight. read full story

5/25/11 – Goodwin Liu withdraws nomination
Goodwin Liu on Wednesday withdrew his nomination for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in a letter to President Barack Obama. read full story

5/25/11 – Goodwin Liu withdraws appeals court nomination
Goodwin Liu is telling President Barack Obama he is withdrawing his nomination to an appeals court judgeship after Senate Republicans blocked a vote on his confirmation last week. read full story

5/25/11 – Former Kansas AG Steve Six dodges abortion questions at nomination hearings for federal appeals court judgeship
Wichita — Former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six fielded abortion questions Tuesday from a U.S. Senate committee weighing his nomination to a seat on a federal appeals court. read full story

5/25/11 – Grassley vows to block nominees until he gets answers on gun sales
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is vowing to block President Obama’s nominations until he gets detailed answers on a controversial program that resulted in drug cartels acquiring more than 1,300 firearms from the U.S. read full story

5/25/11 – Michael Green faces a few challenges at hearing
Monroe County District Attorney Michael C. Green faced a few challenges going into a U.S. Senate hearing Tuesday on his nomination to a federal district court judgeship. read full story

5/24/11 – Bipartisan backing: Texas judicial nominee breezes through confirmation hearing
South Texas lawyer Marina Garcia Marmolejo sailed through a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday and came one step closer to confirmation for a federal judgeship in Laredo. read full story

5/25/11 – Top Justice Nominees Could Be Held Up Over Grassley Concerns on ‘Gunrunner’
A Republican senator looking for answers on a gun-trafficking investigation gone awry is warning the Justice Department that nominees for top positions could be in jeopardy if the administration doesn't start cooperating. read full story

5/25/11 – Filibustered appeals court nominee asks to be withdrawn
(CNN) -- Goodwin Liu, a California law professor nominated by President Barack Obama for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, asked Thursday for his name to be withdrawn after Senate Republicans had invoked a rarely used filibuster to block a final floor vote. read full story

5/25/11 – Post-Liu filibuster, California Dems tell Reid to break out the nuclear option
With the Republicans filibustering judicial nominee Goodwin Liu, the chairman of the California Democratic Party says it's time for Senate Democrats to deploy the so-called nuclear option, according to a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid obtained by TPM. read full story

5/25/11 – Goodwin Liu withdraws appeals court nomination after Senate filibuster
Goodwin Liu, President Obama's polarizing choice for the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, has withdrawn from consideration after last week's filibuster of his nomination on the floor of the Senate. read full story

5/25/11 – Obama court nominee Goodwin Liu withdraws after filibuster
Reporting from Washington— Goodwin Liu, President Obama's polarizing choice for the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, has withdrawn from consideration after last week's filibuster of his nomination in the Senate. read full story

5/25/11 – Liu Drops Bid to Be Federal Appeals Judge
University of California, Berkeley, law professor Goodwin Liu dropped his bid for the federal bench Wednesday, with a letter asking President Barack Obama to withdraw his nomination to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. read full story

5/25/11 – Senators ask John Boehner to help block Obama recess appointments

read full story

5/24/11 – State Bar Urges Federal Action to Fill Judicial Vacancies
The State Bar of Arizona has passed a resolution urging the Washington to fill vacant federal judge positions. read full story

5/24/11 – DA Green gets Senate committee hearing
Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green will have to wait at least another week before he learns whether he'll be confirmed as a federal district court judge. read full story

5/20/11 – Senator Feinstein introduces legislation to reduce caseload in overburdened federal courts
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today introduced legislation to create new judgeships in federal districts across the country that are facing emergency situations, including courts in Sacramento and Fresno. read full story

5/20/11 – GOP blocks Goodwin Liu from federal appeals court
Senate Republicans blocked a vote on the nomination of UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu to the federal appeals court in San Francisco, making Liu the first judicial nominee named by President Obama to be successfully filibustered. read full story

5/20/11 – Obama nominates three to fill judicial vacancies
President Obama on Thursday nominated Andrew Carter to fill a judicial vacancy in the Southern District of New York, signaling that the White House is moving to fill the eight openings on the trial court, the highest since the early 1990s. read full story

5/19/11 – President Obama nominates three to the United States District Court
President Obama announced today that he has nominated Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr., James Rodney Gilstrap and Judge Gina Marie Groh.  Carter is a nominee for the Southern District of New York, Gilstrap for the Eastern District of Texas and Groh for the Northern District of West Virginia. read full story

5/19/11 – Bongaman & Udall bill would increase New Mexico’s district court judgeships
U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today introduced legislation to increase the number of District Court judgeship in New Mexico to help the state deal with its heavy caseload.  The bill is cosponsored by Senator Tom Udall. read full story

5/19/11 – Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have federal courts with highest vacancy rates; across country, 9.9% of federal judicial posts are vacant
Despite three federal district court confirmations in the past week, the vacancy rate for Article III federal judicial posts remains at 9.9%, according to Federal Courts, Empty Benches, a weekly publication of Judgepedia.org. read full story

5/19/11 – Snowe, Collins, join GOP filibuster of Liu judicial nomination
Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins were both members of the famous “Gang of 14” group of senators who forged an agreement six years ago not to filibuster any judicial nominee except under “extraordinary circumstances.” read full story

5/19/11 – Liu cloture vote fails 52-43
The motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Goodwin Liu of California to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit was rejected today by a vote of 52-43, 1 voting present, 4 not voting. read full story

5/19/11 – Five senators to watch in today’s Goodwin Liu vote
The long battle over judicial nominee Goodwin Liu is expected to come to an end this afternoon when the Senate votes on whether to confirm the University of California at Berkeley law professor to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. read full story

5/19/11 – Doggett lauds White House for picking a Texas judge but tensions persist
As we reported today, the White House is poised to nominate a federal judge in East Texas. "Finally," as Austin Rep. Lloyd Doggett put it. Texas Democrats in the U.S. House recommended Rodney Gilstrap, a former Harrison County judge, now a lawyer in Marshall, for the bench 15 months ago. Texas' GOP senators also endorsed Gilstrap. read full story

5/19/11 – Murkowski votes against GOP filibuster of judicial nomination
Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Thursday stuck to her guns and went on record saying what was good for Republican administrations was good for Democratic ones, too. At least when it comes to judicial nominees. read full story

5/19/11 – Lloyd Doggett agrees with Cornyn, Hutchison on something – a Texas nominee for federal judge
After Republicans successfully filibustered President Obama’s judicial nomination of California law professor Goodwin Liu on Thursday, Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison are applauding a different nominee of his — J. Rodney Gilstrap for U.S. district judge in the eastern district of Texas. read full story

5/19/11 – President Obama nominates Alaska jurist to 9th Circuit panel
President Obama has nominated an Alaska Supreme Court justice who earlier served on Planned Parenthood's board and battled Big Oil over the Exxon Valdez spill to a seat on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

5/19/11 – Kudos for Obama from Sens. Cornyn, Hutchison on Texas judge pick
The White House just announced the nomination of Marshall attorney Rodney Gilstrap for a U.S. District Court bench in East Texas. As we reported this morning, Gilstrap, a Democrat who served as Harrison County judge from 1989 to 2002, was recommended by Texas Democrats in Congress and by the state's Republican senators. read full story

5/19/11 – In disheartening display, Senate blocks Goodwin Liu vote
Watching the Senate is routinely frustrating, but some days, it’s just disheartening. read full story

5/19/11 – GOP blocks judicial nominee in sign of battles to come
Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a final vote on President Obama’s choice for a federal appeals court opening, marking the first successful Republican filibuster of an Obama administration judicial nominee. read full story

5/19/11 – Judicial nominee Goodwin Liu faces filibuster showdown
The judicial wars have returned to the Senate. After months of relative calm regarding the federal bench, Senate Republicans are poised Thursday to use a filibuster to block the confirmation of law professor Goodwin Liu to an appellate court. read full story

5/19/11 – President Obama nominates Alaska jurist to Ninth Circuit panel
President Obama has nominated an Alaska Supreme Court justice who earlier served on Planned Parenthood's board and battled Big Oil over the Exxon Valdez spill to a seat on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

5/19/11 – GOP on track to block Obama judicial nominee for first time
Republican opposition is steadily growing against controversial University of California-Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu, President Obama's nominee for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, potentially imperiling a judicial appointment for the first time in his presidency. read full story

5/19/11 – Goodwin Liu teeters toward a loss
The Obama administration is teetering toward losing a fierce battle with Senate Republicans over the long-stalled appointment of Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a nominee conservatives fear would drag the liberal-leaning court further to the left. read full story

5/19/11 – Goodwin Liu, UC Berkeley judicial 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals nominee, may have his day
UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu, whom President Barack Obama first nominated 15 months ago to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, could have his moment of truth Thursday: an up or down confirmation vote from the U.S. Senate. read full story

5/18/11 – Alaska justice nominated for federal appeals court
Alaska Supreme Court Justice Morgan Christen is moving to the federal bench. read full story

5/18/11 – President Obama nominates Morgan Christen for the United States Court of Appeals
Today, President Obama nominated Justice Morgan Christen for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. read full story

5/18/11 – Key senators to support filibuster of Goodwin Liu
Three Republicans who have rarely supported filibusters of judicial nominees said today that they will vote to filibuster appellate nominee Goodwin Liu, a bad omen for Liu a day before a crucial Senate vote. read full story

5/18/11 – Senate to vote on Ninth Circuit appeals court vacancy
The Senate is voting today to confirm Goodwin Liu, President Obama’s pick to fill a vacancy on the Ninth Circuit, which includes Nevada, as a federal Appeals Court judge. read full story

5/18/11 – President Obama focus of brewing partisan battle
Absent a surprise vacancy on the Supreme Court this spring, the most heated debate over one of President Obama's judicial nominees this year will involve Goodwin Liu, a Berkeley University law professor who has been nominated for a seat on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

5/18/11 – Senate braces for possible filibuster over Obama judge pick
The Senate stands on the edge of what could be the biggest fight over an Obama administration judicial nominee yet, larger than either of the conflicts over Supreme Court picks Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. read full story

5/18/11 – Senate to hold cloture vote on Liu
Senate Democrats on Thursday will try to force a vote on the nomination of Goodwin Liu to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. read full story

5/18/11 – Obama judicial nominee faces crucial Senate vote
Liberal demagogue or mainstream intellectual? The Senate faces a Thursday showdown to force a floor vote on what could be President Barack Obama's most controversial judicial nominee. read full story

5/18/11 – Goodwin Liu vote could swing on a few senators
As legal groups on the left and right make a late push to influence the U.S. Senate's upcoming vote on appellate court nominee Goodwin Liu, there may not be many senators up for grabs. read full story

5/18/11 – Federal apeals court nominee Liu faces Senate vote

read full story

5/17/11 – At long last, vote on Goodwin Liu draws near
If you haven’t thought of the name “Goodwin Liu” for a while, it’s time to refamiliarize yourself with it. News on Mr. Liu is headin’ your way. Liu, as you’ll recall, is arguably the most controversial judicial nominee made so far by President Barack Obama (outside his Supreme Court nominees, of course). read full story

5/17/11 – Democrats may push to confirm appeals court nominee Goodwin Liu
Goodwin Liu's bid for a federal judgeship may be headed for a crucial vote this week, in what would be the biggest fight yet over any of President Barack Obama's nominees for the lower federal courts. read full story

5/17/11 – Harry Reid moves for Goodwin Liu confirmation vote
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday moved to bring the judicial nomination of Goodwin Liu to the floor, setting up a potential Thursday vote on the controversial nominee. read full story

5/17/11 – Reid files cloture on judicial nominee
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has scheduled a Thursday cloture vote on President Obama’s controversial nomination of Goodwin Liu to a federal appeals court. read full story

5/17/11 – Reid sets showdown for controversial Obama nominee
The stalled nomination of Goodwin Liu for a seat on the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals moved into high gear late Tuesday when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced that a vote on the controversial pick will held by week's end. read full story

5/17/11 – Reid sets up Senate vote on U.S. appellate court nominee Liu
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid moved to force a full Senate vote on President Barack Obama’s nomination of University of California law professor Goodwin Liu to a U.S. appeals court. read full story

5/17/11 – More progress on judicial nominations
The Senate today confirmed the nomination of Susan Carney to the 2nd Circuit Appeals Court by a vote of 71-28. read full story

5/17/11 – Carney wins easy Senate confirmation to federal appeals court
Connecticut's Susan Carney cruised to confirmation Tuesday, with the full Senate approving her nomination to the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals by a vote of 71-28. read full story

5/16/11 – A Yale lawyer on the brink of confirmation to federal appeals court
As appellate court nominees go, Susan Carney doesn't have the typical resume. She hasn't questioned many witnesses, tried many cases, or starred in many courtroom dramas. For more than 12 years, Carney has worked as a top lawyer for Yale University, where she is now second-in-command in the school's general counsel's office. read full story

5/16/11 – After defeat, White House moved quickly on 2nd Circuit vacancy
President Barack Obama endured his first defeat on a judicial nomination in January, when Republican opposition kept him from re-nominating his choice for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. But within weeks, his advisers apparently settled on a replacement. read full story

5/15/11 – Posts look less likely for 2 judicial nominees
As federal judges from Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana gather Monday in Milwaukee for the U.S. 7th Circuit bar association's annual meeting, their ranks remain less than full strength, casualties of partisan congressional politics that have led to growing judicial vacancies nationwide. read full story

5/13/11 – Brooke Jackson Gets OK From Judiciary Committee, Waits For Full Senate Approval
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to confirm judicial nominee Brooke Jackson, bringing him one step closer to getting full Senate confirmation as the next U.S. District judge for Colorado. read full story

5/12/11 – Results of Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting on Judicial Nominations
The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting to consider pending nominations and legislation on May 12, 2011. read full story

5/12/11 – Senate confirms Urbanski to federal judgeship
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski of Roanoke has been confirmed as a federal judge for the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Virginia. read full story

5/12/11 – Delaware attorney Richard Andrews tapped for federal bench
Wilmington attorney Richard G. Andrews, 55, who has served as state prosecutor in the Delaware Department of Justice since 2007, has been nominated for the federal bench in Delaware. read full story

5/12/11 – Toledo laywer nominated to become federal judge
President Obama Wednesday nominated Jeffrey J. Helmick, a Toledo lawyer whose career has included representing defendants on death row, to be a judge on the U.S. District Court in Toledo. read full story

5/11/11 – Senate unanimously approves Norfolk federal judge candidate
The U.S. Senate today unanimously approved the nomination of Arenda Wright Allen, a local federal public defender and former prosecutor, to be a new U.S. District Court judge here. read full story

5/11/11 – President Obama nominates three for district court bench
Today, President Obama nominated Richard G. Andrews, Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo and Jeffrey J. Helmick to serve on the United States District Court bench. read full story

5/11/11 – Judge Pozza might be first woman on federal bench here
State district Judge Karen Pozza of San Antonio is under consideration by the White House for a vacancy on the federal bench in the Western District of Texas, officials said Tuesday. She would become the first woman to serve on the federal bench in the city. read full story

5/11/11 – Obama nominates judge for federal court
President Barack Obama nominated on Wednesday U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo to fill a seat on the federal court district that covers San Diego and Imperial counties. read full story

5/11/11 – Senate OKs Edward Chen to be federal judge in S.F.
Edward Chen, nominated by President Obama to become a federal judge in San Francisco nearly two years ago, won Senate confirmation Tuesday after a long stalemate over Republican objections to his work as an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer. read full story

5/10/11 – Senators confirm former ACLU lawyer for judgeship
The U.S. Senate voted today to confirm Edward Chen to the federal district bench in the Northern District of California, ending a debate that had revolved around Chen's past work on polarizing civil liberties cases. read full story

5/10/11 – Senate confirms Edward Chen to California district court
The Senate voted 56-42 to confirm Edward Chen to serve as judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. read full story

5/10/11 – Snowe, Collins cast lonely GOP votes for Obama judicial nominee
Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine were two of just four Republicans today to vote for the nomination of Edward Chen to the U.S. District Court in Northern California. read full story

5/10/11 – Dems bring another controversial judicial nominee to Senate floor
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has scheduled debate time and a vote for Tuesday afternoon on the controversial nomination of Edward Milton Chen to be a United States District Judge for the Northern District of California. read full story

5/10/11 – Obama taps federal prosecutor to fill 5th Circuit Court spot
President Barack Obama nominated an assistant U.S. attorney in Louisiana to fill a vacancy on the New Orleans-based U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which serves Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. read full story

5/10/11 – Progress on Goodwin Liu, Edward Chen nominations
At last, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced an agreement to act on the Chen nomination this week, possibly as early as today. The deal calls for three hours of debate, to be followed by a vote of the full Senate. Chen is almost certain to be confirmed. Unfortunately, Liu's nomination remains in limbo - but the breakthrough on the Chen confirmation is an encouraging sign that the hyperpartisanship on judicial nominations may be easing. read full story

5/10/11 – After nine month stall, US magistrate appointed to northern CA court
After a year and nine months of having his nomination stalled in the U.S. Senate, federal Magistrate Edward Chen was confirmed today to the post of a U.S. district judge in Northern California. read full story

5/9/11 – Jeffco Chief Judge Brooke Jackson gets Senate hearing for spot on federal bench
It’s been more than three years since all seven seats on Colorado’s federal trial bench have been filled, but Jeffco District Court Chief Judge Brooke Jackson is on track to fill that vacancy. Eventually. read full story

5/6/11 – Senate vote cleared for embattled nominee
Magistrate Judge Edward Chen of California, whom President Obama has nominated for the federal district court four times, may get an up-or-down Senate vote soon. read full story

5/5/11 – Snowe, Collins laud judicial nominee
During a mostly trouble-free hearing Wednesday, Nancy Torresen told the Senate Judiciary Committee that, as a federal judge, she would be an even-handed jurist who focuses on facts and higher-court precedents. read full story

5/5/11 – Obama picks Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers for U.S. court
Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, an Alameda County judge and former business lawyer, was nominated by President Obama on Wednesday to be a federal judge in San Francisco, where she would be the first Latina on the court. read full story

5/5/11 – Nebraska judge up for U.S. bench
Justice John Gerrard, a member of the Nebraska Supreme Court since 1995, has been nominated to become a U.S. District Court judge by President Obama. read full story

5/5/11 – Stephen Higginson nominated to New Orleans-based federal appeals court
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Higginson of New Orleans is President Barack Obama's choice to fill a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. read full story

5/5/11 – President Obama announces intent to nominate Stephen Higginson to serve on United States Court of Appeals
Today, President Obama Announced his intent to nominate Stephen Higginson to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. “Stephen Higginson is a distinguished candidate for the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit,” President Obama said. “Both his legal and academic credentials are impressive and his commitment to judicial integrity is unwavering. I am confident he will serve the American people with distinction.” read full story

5/5/11 – Jack McConnell confirmed to federal bench, Senate rejects filibuster effort
Another ho-hum day in Senate politics Wednesday, involving confirmation of Rhode Island native and trial lawyer John J. "Jack" McConnell as a federal judge in Rhode Island. By a cloture vote of 63-33 leading to an up-or-down confirmation vote of 50-44 (both largely along party lines), McConnell's confirmation fills a 5-year vacancy, which had previously forced Rhode Island's top federal judge to reassign civil cases to judges in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. read full story

5/5/11 – Results of Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Session
The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting to consider pending nominations and legislation on May 5, 2011. A quorum was not present, and the Committee was not able to complete action on pending matters. The meeting recessed subject to the call of the Chair. read full story

5/5/11 – Third time the charm: McConnell confirmed
Without a single Republican vote, the Senate confirmed Providence lawyer John J. McConnell’s nomination to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island on Wednesday, closing a long and uncommonly harsh judicial debate on a partisan note. read full story

5/5/11 – McConnell confirmed for lower court
Senate Democrats secured a major victory in confirming President Obama’s judicial nominations by overcoming an attempted Republican filibuster of lower-court nominee Jack McConnell on Wednesday. read full story

5/5/11 – Senate confirms Jack McConnell in 50-44 vote
On the confirmation of John J. McConnell, Jr. of Rhode Island, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Rhode Island, the Senate voted 50-44 to confirm him. read full story

5/4/11 – President Obama Nominates Six Judges to United States District Courts
Today, President Obama nominated Dana L. Christensen, Katherine B. Forrest, Justice John M. Gerrard, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Edgardo Ramos, and Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. for District Court judgeships. read full story

5/4/11 – Oconee County’s federal court nominee Tim Cain faces first Senate hurdle
Judge Timothy M. Cain of Oconee County’s family court faced his first Senate hurdle Wednesday on a path expected to lead to a federal judgeship. read full story

5/4/11 – Nannette Jolivette-Brown praised by both Louisiana senators at federal judgeship confirmation hearing
She's a top aide to the brother of one Louisiana senator and was a law school classmate of the other, and on Wednesday, Nannette Jolivette-Brown was warmly presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee by both lawmakers as a candidate for a seat on the federal District Court in New Orleans. read full story

5/4/11 – White House nominates East Bay judge to federal bench
The Obama administration on Wednesday nominated Alameda County Superior Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to a federal judgeship in San Francisco, a move that could make her the Bay Area's first female Latina federal judge. read full story

5/4/11 – Obama nominates Kalispell attorney for judge post
President Barack Obama has nominated Kalispell attorney Dana Christensen to replace U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of Missoula, who will begin senior status this summer. read full story

5/4/11 – Lead-paint plaintiffs’ lawyer on track for judicial confirmation after filibuster fails
Senate Republicans have failed in an attempt to filibuster the judicial nomination of John “Jack” McConnell Jr., a trial lawyer opposed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. read full story

5/4/11 – Senate clears way for final vote on nominee
The Senate voted 63 to 33 on Wednesday to cut off a threatened filibuster against President Obama’s nomination of plaintiff’s lawyer John “Jack” McConnell Jr. for a federal district judgeship in Rhode Island. read full story

5/4/11 – Senate GOP filibuster of judicial nominee fails
A trial lawyer nominated by President Barack Obama to be a federal judge in Rhode Island is on track to be confirmed after a Senate GOP filibuster attempt failed Wednesday. Eleven Republicans joined with Democrats in the 63-33 vote Wednesday to support John McConnell's nomination. GOP leaders opposed McConnell, citing his record as a trial lawyer in cases against businesses. read full story

5/4/11 – GOP senators fail to filibuster Rhode Island trial judge
Republicans were unable to mount a filibuster Wednesday against one of President Obama’s judicial nominees despite an unprecedented objection from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce against a plaintiffs lawyer the GOP said was unfit to serve on the bench. read full story

5/4/11 – GOP fails to bottle up RI lawyer’s nomination
A trial lawyer nominated by President Barack Obama to be a federal judge in Rhode Island is on track to be confirmed after a Senate GOP filibuster attempt failed Wednesday. read full story

5/4/11 – Senate thwarts filibuster on judge
Defying highly unusual opposition by business groups and the Senate minority leader, the Senate on Wednesday voted to proceed with a confirmation vote for a nominee for federal district court, thwarting a threatened filibuster and signaling an apparent unwillingness among many Republicans to hinder judicial appointments without extraordinary cause. read full story

5/4/11 – Controversial judicial nominee clears key Senate confirmation hurdle
Senate Republicans have failed to block a floor vote for a controversial judicial nominee labeled as anti-business. read full story

5/4/11 – Hatch explains ‘present’ vote on judicial filibuster
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) was alone among senators today when he voted "present" on a threatened filibuster of a judicial nominee, but Hatch said he had no choice. read full story

5/4/11 – Obama nominates Droney for appeals court
President Obamaon Wednesday nominated federal district court Judge Christopher F. Droney to the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, a source involved in the appointment process said. read full story

5/4/11 – Attorney General implores Senate to act on judicial appointments
Good morning, Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Grassley, and distinguished members of the Committee. It is a privilege to appear before you today to discuss the priorities and accomplishments of the Department of Justice. read full story

5/4/11 – Senate blocks filibuster on McConnell nomination
The U.S. Senate has voted 63 to 33 to block a filibuster on the nomination of local attorney Jack McConnell as a judge for U.S. District Court for Rhode Island. The vote effectively paves the way for McConnell to be confirmed as a judge. read full story

5/4/11 – McConnell’s judicial confirmation seen as assured
The U.S. Senate voted to invoke cloture on the consideration of John J. McConnell as U.S. District Court judge for Rhode Island Wednesday afternoon, paving the way for an up-or-down vote to seat him. read full story

5/4/11 – U.S. Senate vote clears way for McConnell
U.S. Senate Democrats on Wednesday successfully cut off a Republican filibuster of Rhode Island trial lawyer John J. "Jack" McConnell Jr.'s controversial nomination to be a federal judge, likely clearing the way for him to take a seat on the bench here in Providence. read full story

5/4/11 – Vote Summary on the cloture motion of John J. McConnell
On the Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of John J. McConnell, Jr. of Rhode Island to be U.S. District Judge read full story

5/4/11 – Obama selects judge nominees with DOJ ties
President Barack Obama on Wednesday named three judicial nominees who are present or former Justice Department officials. read full story

5/4/11 – Up-down vote gives Obama 20th 2011 judicial OK
The Senate confirmed President Obama’s 20th straight judicial nominee this year after nearly a dozen Republicans bucked their party leader and sided with Democrats Wednesday to allow an up-or-down vote on a controversial district court candidate. read full story

5/4/11 – RI lawyer confirmed as US judge; GOP block fails
A trial lawyer nominated by President Barack Obama to be a federal judge in Rhode Island was confirmed on a party-line vote Wednesday just hours after a Senate GOP filibuster attempt failed. read full story

5/4/11 – Key vote set in McConnell nomination
The Senate is about to “go to war,” in the words of one conservative lobbyist, over John J. McConnell Jr.’s nomination to the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island. read full story

5/4/11 – Obama picks Chris Droney for U.S. Appeals Court
President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated federal district court judge Christopher F. Droney to the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. read full story

5/4/11 – Trial lawyer judicial nominee overcomes threatened filibuster
The U.S. Senate voted narrowly today to cut off a threatened filibuster against one of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees, a trial lawyer who played a leading role in lead paint and tobacco litigation. read full story

5/4/11 – GOP Senator says McConnell lied to Senate Panel
On the eve of the Senate debate on whether to seat John J. McConnell Jr. on Rhode Island's federal trial court, the Providence lawyer's opponents questioned his honesty in connection with a long-running Rhode Island lawsuit against the manufacturers of lead paint. read full story

5/3/11 – Nashville lawyer named federal judge
Nashville lawyer Kevin Sharp was confirmed on Monday as a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. read full story

5/3/11 – Judiciary Committee Reported Nominations Pending On The Senate Executive Calendar
The nomination of Susan Carney to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit. Carney was first nominated on May 20, 2010, and again on January 5, 2011. She appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 15, 2010. The Judiciary Committee reported the nomination to the full Senate on December 1, 2010, and again on February 17, 2011. read full story

5/3/11 – Senate moves closer to vote on controversial R.I. judge pick
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Monday filed a cloture motion to force a confirmation vote on John "Jack" McConnell, the Motley Rice lawyer and major Democratic contributor who made millions from the state tobacco lawsuits. President Obama has nominated the trial lawyer several times to the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, but only to find his confirmation blocked because of his controversial statements, legal history -- directing the state's contingency suit against paint manufacturers, for example -- and hyperpartisanship. read full story

5/3/11 – Reid seeking to force Senate vote on nomination of John J. McConnell to U.S. District Court for R.I.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has taken steps to force a Senate floor vote as early as Wednesday on the controversial nomination of John J. McConnell Jr. to an opening on the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island. read full story

5/2/11 – Sharp confirmed to bench
Late Monday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Nashville attorney Kevin Sharp to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Sharp was nominated last November by President Barack Obama to succeed Judge Robert Echols, who retired from the bench last year. read full story

5/2/11 – U.S. Senate makes Roy ‘Skip’ Dalton Jr. a federal judge
The U.S. Senate agreed unanimously Monday to make Roy "Skip" Dalton Jr. —- a Central Florida attorney and counsel to former Sen. Mel Martinez — the newest judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, one of the busiest in the nation. read full story

5/2/11 – U.S. Senate to vote on Jack McConnell nomination – again
Will the U.S. Senate finally vote to make Rhode Island attorney Jack McConnell a federal judge this week? read full story

5/2/11 – Democrats push for vote on trial lawyer judicial nominee
Senate Democrats are moving to force a vote on the judicial nomination of John McConnell Jr., a Rhode Island trial lawyer who has drawn heat from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for his work on tobacco and lead-paint litigation. read full story

4/28/11 – Senate to vote on judges’ nominations
Two stalled nominations for judgeships in the Western District of U.S. District Court are expected to get Senate votes under a deal announced Tuesday by Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey. read full story

4/26/11 – 2 federal judge appointments to move forward
Two stalled nominations for federal judgeships in the Western District of Pennsylvania are expected to move toward Senate votes under a deal announced today by Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey. read full story

4/26/11 – Pa. Sens. Bob Casey, Pat Toomey team up to fill judge vacancies
The U.S. Middle District Court, which handles federal cases for the central part of Pennsylvania, is supposed to have six regular judges. It has three. read full story

4/26/11 – Minora, Nealon nominations on hold as new process unfolded
Lackawanna County Judges Terrence R. Nealon and Carmen D. Minora, who were recommended to President Barack Obama for federal judgeships last year, will have to go through a new review process if they are to move up to the federal bench. read full story

4/26/11 – Nealon, Minora have to start over
Lackawanna County Judges Terrence R. Nealon and Carmen D. Minora, who were recommended to President Obama for federal judgeships last year, will have to go through a new review process if they are to move up to the federal bench. read full story

4/26/11 – Senators Casey and Toomey announce bipartisan agreement on judicial vacancies
Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) announced a bipartisan agreement on filling federal district court vacancies in Pennsylvania. read full story

4/22/11 – ‘Veterans court’ faces a backlog that continues to grow
In a cramped office building in Washington, sandwiched between a deli and a day care, a little-known appeals court for veterans is struggling to work its way through hundreds of backlogged cases. read full story

4/15/11 – E. Washington federal judge appointment coming soon
President Barack Obama is expected to make his nomination soon for the next federal judge for the Eastern District of Washington. read full story

4/14/11 – Federal court of appeals judge candidates sought
Want to be a federal judge? Give Reps. Chellie Pingree of the 1st district or Mike Michaud of the 2nd district a call. The Maine Democrats have put together a screening committee to review applications of those who want to be considered for a recommendation to President Obama on who the president should nominate for a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. read full story

4/14/11 – South Carolina Senator block nominations pending port funding
South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham will block judicial nominations until $40,000 has been pledged to a Charleston port project. read full story

4/14/11 – Senate to act on Dalton, Sharp judicial nominations
The Senate has adjourned for a two-week work period back home. Upon returning to session on Monday, May 2, they will act on the judicial nominations of Roy Bale Dalton, Jr. and Kevin Hunter Sharp. read full story

4/13/11 – Senate panel questions federal judge nominee
The nominee to replace U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade took her turn before the U.S. Senate's Judiciary Committee on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. read full story

4/13/11 – Sen. Lindsay Graham blocks judicial nominations over $40,000 in port funding
A top Senate Republican has pledged to block action on several pending judicial nominations until funding for a Charleston port project is approved, leading the White House to intervene in an effort to break the impasse. read full story

4/13/11 – South Salem lawyer Vincent Briccetti named federal judge
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously confirmed Vincent Briccetti, a lawyer from South Salem, to serve as a federal judge in White Plains. read full story

4/12/11 – Senate confirms two for judicial emergencies
The Senate on Tuesday unanimously confirmed two pending nominees to fill judicial emergency vacancies in New York and California. read full story

4/11/11 – John Cornyn in center of new judicial battle with Obama; Rhode Island fight has Texas implications
Sen. John Cornyn has been in the center of judicial battles over Texas nominees to the federal bench since his election to the Senate. read full story

4/9/11 – Cornyn threatens judicial nominee filibuster
Sen. John Cornyn has been in the center of judicial battles over Texas nominees to the federal bench since his election to the Senate. read full story

4/9/11 – Senate to act on Briccetti, Kronstadt judicial nominations
Senators won’t be back in session until Tuesday of next week, but when they return they’ll take action on two more judicial nominations. read full story

4/8/11 – Senate vote last step in professor’s appointment Senate vote needed to appoint law professor
Despite Republican contention, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines Thursday morning in favor of bringing UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu's nomination for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to the full Senate for confirmation. read full story

4/8/11 – Maine’s 1st Circuit judge to take senior status
The only judge from Maine on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will assume senior status later this year and the search to replace him has begun. read full story

4/8/11 – Senate panel again OKs Liu for appellate court
President Obama's nomination of UC Berkeley Law Professor Goodwin Liu to a federal appeals court in San Francisco cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote for the third time Thursday, with one Republican opponent predicting he would eventually be confirmed. read full story

4/7/11 – In Judiciary Committee vote on Liu, Coburn toes the party line — with reservations
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit nominee Goodwin Liu, first nominated more than a year-and-a-half ago, was again approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee today. read full story

4/7/11 – Federal court nominee Gleason gets boost from Alaska Sen. Murkowski
The White House said Wednesday that it was nominating Anchorage Superior Court Judge Sharon Gleason to the U.S. District Court bench. read full story

4/7/11 – Arkansas judge nominated for federal post
President Obama has nominated an Arkansas judge to be a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Arkansas. read full story

4/7/11 – Anchorage judge is nominated for federal court
The White House said Wednesday that it was nominating Anchorage Superior Court Judge Sharon Gleason to the U.S. District Court bench. read full story

4/7/11 – Senate Judiciary moves on nominations, Liu, Sunshine in Courtroom
The Senate Judiciary Committee today ordered reported the nominations of five nominees to the federal bench, all by voice vote, with one exception: Goodwin Liu (Boalt Hall), nominee to the Ninth Circuit, was ordered reported by a roll call along party lines, 10 to 8. read full story

4/7/11 – Oetken nomination sent to full Senate, as DuMont nomination remains in limbo
Today, the Senate Judicary Committee moved forward the nomination of J. Paul Oetken, who was nominated for a judgeship in the Southern District of New York by President Barack Obama in January. read full story

4/7/11 – Paul Oetken nomination passes Senate Judiciary Committee
This morning, by a unanimous vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent Paul Oetken’s nomination to become a federal judge to the Senate floor. read full story

4/7/11 – Results of Executive Business Meeting
The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting to consider pending nominations and legislation on April 7, 2011. read full story

4/6/11 – First woman named to federal judgeship in Alaska
President Barack Obama has nominated the first woman in Alaska history to serve on the federal bench here. read full story

4/6/11 – Obama nominates Susan Hickey for federal judgeship
President Obama has nominated Circuit Judge Susan Hickey of El Dorado to a federal judgeship left vacant when Judge Harry Barnes took judicial retirement. Hickey worked for years for Barnes as a clerk and was appointed to fill a state judicial vacancy last year by Gov. Mike Beebe, a move that was seen as shoring up her eventual nomination for the federal bench. read full story

4/6/11 – President Obama nominates two to the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Sharon L. Gleason and Judge Susan Owens Hickey to seats on the United States District Court. read full story

4/5/11 – Senate panel to vote Thursday on gay judicial nominee
A Senate committee is set on Thursday to vote on the nomination of a New York attorney who could become the first openly gay male to sit on the federal bench. read full story

4/5/11 – Another prof. for the bench
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the the Obama Administration is vetting Tulane University law professor Stephen M.Griffin for a potential seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Prof. Griffin is a prolific scholar who has written quite extensively about constitutional law and is a listed contributor to the legal blog, Balkinization. read full story

4/5/11 – Tulane official vetted for vacancy
The White House is vetting a Tulane University law professor for a possible appointment to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

4/4/11 – Senate confirms Reyna judicial nomination
By a vote of 86-0, Senators have confirmed Jimmie V. Reyna, of Maryland, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit. read full story

4/4/11 – Senate to consider nominee for federal circuit
Williams Mullen partner Jimmie Reyna is scheduled to get a Senate vote today on his nomination for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. read full story

4/1/11 – Former associate White House counsel nominated to federal bench
Yesterday, the White House nominated former Associate White House Counsel Alison Nathan for a judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  She is the fourth openly LGBT individual nominated by the Obama Administration for a judicial appointment. read full story

4/1/11 – Kerry: Applicants wanted for federal judicial posts in Springfield, Worcester
U.S. Sen. John Kerry says the non-partisan Judicial Selection Committee is now accepting applications for two upcoming judicial vacancies at the federal district courts in Springfield and Worcester. read full story

4/1/11 – Senate panel endorses McConnell for R.I. judgeship
With at least one Republican saying he might support a filibuster to keep John J. McConnell Jr. off the federal bench, a divided Senate Judiciary Committee recommended Thursday that the full Senate confirm the nomination of the prominent Democratic lawyer and fundraiser to the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island. read full story

3/31/11 – Senate committee OKs Sharp nomination
Nashville attorney Kevin Sharp has moved a step closer to becoming the next judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. read full story

3/31/11 – GOP Renews Criticism of Trial Lawyer Judicial Nominee
In what's become a proxy for debate over mass torts, U.S. senators are clashing again over the nomination of Motley Rice partner John McConnell Jr. for a seat on the federal bench. read full story

3/31/11 – Obama nominates lesbian attorney to federal bench
President Obama nominated on Thursday a lesbian attorney and former administration official for a position on the federal bench. read full story

3/31/11 – President Obama names Alison J. Nathan as nominee for the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Alison J. Nathan for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. read full story

3/29/11 – U.S. Senate votes 88-0 to confirm Latham lawyer as first woman jurist on federal bench in Albany
Mae D'Agostino will officially be the first woman to sit on a federal bench in Albany. read full story

3/26/11 – Pearson sworn in as judge
As the first black female federal jurist in Ohio, U.S. District Court Judge Benita Y. Pearson said it wouldn’t have happened without those who blazed the trail before her. read full story

3/25/11 – Sen. Brown swears-in Benita Pearson as judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) swore-in the newest judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Judge Benita Y. Pearson, at a ceremony in Youngstown today. Judge Pearson is the first African-American woman to serve as Federal District Judge in Ohio. read full story

3/23/11 – Judge who presided over Abscam cases to step down
U.S. District Judge John Fullam, who presided over such notable cases as the Abscam political-corruption probe and the landmark bankruptcy of Penn Central, said Wednesday that he planned to step down. read full story

3/23/11 – EDTX Chief Judge David Folsom says he’ll retire next year
David Folsom of Texarkana, chief judge of the Eastern District of Texas, will no longer be available to hear your extremely complicated patent infringement case after March 31, 2012, because both he and his robe are retiring. read full story

3/22/11 – D’Agostino judgeship vote set for Monday
The U.S. Senate scheduled a confirmation vote Monday on Albany attorney Mae D'Agostino's nomination for a federal district court judgeship. read full story

3/18/11 – D.C. Circuit Nominee Caitlin Halligan to Argue Before U.S. Supreme Court on Monday
[I]f you really want to see why Ms. Halligan warrants confirmation, avoid the partisan process in the Senate and cross the street on Capitol Hill Monday to see her in action, arguing a case before the United States Supreme Court — her fifth argument before the Court (most lawyers never even get to make one). read full story

3/18/11 – Panel takes up McConnell nomination again
Amid indications that some Republicans remain strongly opposed to seating Providence lawyer John J. McConnell Jr. on Rhode Island’s federal court, senators on Thursday began formal consideration of his controversial nomination for the third time. read full story

3/18/11 – New hope for stalled nomination to SF court
President Obama's nomination of a federal magistrate and former American Civil Liberties Union lawyer for a judgeship in San Francisco cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee for the fourth time Thursday and received a glimmer of hope from a Republican who has been his most outspoken opponent. read full story

3/17/11 – Gay judicial nominee sails through breezy hearing
A New York attorney who could be the first openly gay man to serve on the federal bench breezed through a confirmation hearing on Wednesday during which faced only softball questions from Democratic senators. read full story

3/17/11 – Senate confirms second D.C. federal court nominee this week
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Amy Berman Jackson to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Columbia, the second time this week the chamber has approved a pick for the D.C. court. read full story

3/17/11 – Senate Confirms Another D.C. Judge
The Senate voted unanimously today to confirm Washington litigator Amy Berman Jackson to a judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. read full story

3/17/11 – Senate Confirms Judicial Nominee, Processes Several Others through Committee
The Senate Judiciary Committee processed several nominees this week. read full story

3/17/11 – President Obama nominates two women as US district court judges
Late Wednesday, President Barack Obama nominated two women to United States District Court judgeships. read full story

3/17/11 – S.C. attorney tapped for federal bench
President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated a prominent Columbia lawyer, Mary Geiger Lewis, to be a U.S. district judge, naming his fifth South Carolinian to the federal bench. read full story

3/16/11 – President Obama nominates two to the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Mary Geiger Lewis and Judge Jane Margaret Triche-Milazzo to United States District Court judgeships. read full story

3/16/11 – Obama nominates Landrieu pick for federal district judge
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu announced Wednesday that President Barack Obama nominated Judge Jane Margaret Triche-Milazzo to serve as a federal district court judge for the eastern district of Louisiana. read full story

3/16/11 – U.S. Dist. Judge Bernice Donald of Memphis breezes through confirmation hearing
A federal judge from Memphis who has been nominated to the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals breezed through her confirmation hearing before a congressional panel on Wednesday. read full story

3/16/11 – Oetken, out gay nominee, faces no opposition at Senate judiciary hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), held confirmation hearings today on four of President Barack Obama's nominees for the federal judiciary. The hearings were led by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), however, and garnered attendance only from Schumer and freshman Deleware Sen. Chris Coons (D) -- despite the fact that one of the nominees is openly gay and another had worked on litigation seeking marriage equality in New York. read full story

3/16/11 – SDNY nominees breeze through Senate hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee had few questions today for two of President Barack Obama's nominees for U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, signaling a potentially easy path to confirmation in the months ahead. read full story

3/15/11 – U.S. Dist. Judge Bernice Donald faces confirmation hearing today
If Republicans are looking for an issue to help torpedo U.S. Dist. Judge Bernice B. Donald's nomination to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, they may look at that court's reversal of her 2007 ruling in a school desegregation case. read full story

3/14/11 – Hatch blasts Obama for nominating activist judges
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today blasted President Obama for nominating activist judges for the federal judiciary, saying nominees such as Berkeley Professor Goodwin Liu show the administration has little regard for the Constitution. read full story

3/14/11 – Oetken, out gay nominee, “uanimously qualified” for NY federal judgeship, ABA panel says
J. Paul Oetken, the out gay New York attorney who was nominated by President Barack Obama for a federal judicial appointment in late January, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that his work for the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association writing an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, brief in the landmark Lawrence v. Texas case at the U.S. Supreme Court was one of the 10 "most significant litigated matters" that he personally handled in his nearly 20-year legal career. read full story

3/14/11 – Senate confirms Boasberg judicial nomination
By a vote of 96-0, Senators have confirmed James Emanuel Boasberg, of the District of Columbia, to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia. read full story

3/14/11 – Senate set to vote on D.C. judicial nominee
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote late today on the nomination of James "Jeb" Boasberg for U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. read full story

3/13/11 – 10th Circuit Court opening could allow Obama to balance the appointments
The departure of the longest-serving active judge on the Denver-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals gives President Barack Obama the chance to even the panel. read full story

3/13/11 – Senate hearing set for gay judicial nominee
A Senate hearing has been scheduled on Wednesday for J. Paul Oetken who, if confirmed, could become the first openly gay male to sit on the federal bench. read full story

3/12/11 – Mueller formally elevated to Sacramento’s federal district court
The overflow crowd could all but hear the glass ceiling shattering, as Kimberly J. Mueller was formally installed as the first female federal district judge in the 45-year history of the Sacramento-based Eastern District of California. read full story

3/11/11 – Senate committee approves U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski for district court bench
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski, who acts as a gatekeeper to federal court in Roanoke, got the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's approval Thursday for an appointment as a U.S. District Court judge. read full story

3/11/11 – Hearing on U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald’s appellate nomination set for Wednesday
U.S. Dist. Judge Bernice B. Donald’s nomination for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit goes before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week for a confirmation hearing, a committee staffer said today. read full story

3/10/11 – Ninth Circuit judge Mary M. Schroeder to assume senior status
Judge Mary M. Schroeder of Phoenix announced today her intention to step down as an active judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judge Schroeder plans to assume senior status on January 1, 2012, at which time she will have 32 years of service to the court. read full story

3/10/11 – Gun advocates step in to oppose D.C. Circuit pick
New York lawyer Caitlin Halligan won a committee vote today in her bid for a spot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, but Senate Republicans made clear they're planning a fight based in part on gun rights. read full story

3/10/11 – Another judge confirmed with support from Burr and Hagan
Sen. Richard Burr: Max Cogburn is an excellent choice to serve as District Judge for the Western District of our state, and I am pleased the Senate unanimously supported his confirmation today. read full story

3/10/11 – Senate confirms Cogburn judicial nomination
By a vote of 96-0, Senators have confirmed the nomination of Max Oliver Cogburn, Jr., of North Carolina, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina. read full story

3/9/11 – Six nominated to Court of Appeals
Former Kansas Attorney General Steve Six has been nominated by President Barack Obama for a seat on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

3/9/11 – Senate to vote on Cogburn judicial nomination
Senators will vote tomorrow on the nomination of Max Oliver Cogburn, Jr., of North Carolina, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina. read full story

3/9/11 – President Obama nominates William Francis Kuntz, II to the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated William Francis Kuntz, II to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. read full story

3/9/11 – President Obama nominates Steve Six to the United States Circuit Court
Today, President Obama nominated Steve Six to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. read full story

3/8/11 – Two Illinois judges OK’d for federal judgeships
Two Illinois judges have been confirmed to fill vacancies on the federal bench in Illinois. read full story

3/8/11 – Now there are two vacancies on the 11th Circuit as well
It's been 742 days since Judge Hurley took senior status and Kathleen Williams is still waiting to be confirmed as a federal judge. read full story

3/7/11 – Battaglia becomes federal judge in San Diego
The U.S. Senate on Monday unanimously confirmed the nomination of Anthony Battaglia, 61, as a federal judge in San Diego. read full story

3/7/11 – Senate confirms three federal judges
The Senate on Monday night confirmed three district judgeships, which led Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) to boast that the GOP has approved nearly one-fifth of President Obama's judicial nominations in just a few short weeks. read full story

3/7/11 – Holdup in RI federal judicial nomination prompts 2 dozen cases sent out of state
Rhode Island's top federal judge says a four-year judicial vacancy left open amid partisan bickering in the U.S. Senate has led her court to take the unusual step of reassigning more than two dozen civil cases to judges in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. read full story

3/7/11 – Slow pace of confirmations affecting federal judges in South Florida
U.S. District Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley has been waiting 741 days - about two years - for his replacement to be named. read full story

3/7/11 – Shadid named newest federal judge
The U.S. Senate voted 89-0 Monday to confirm Shadid and Sue Myerscough, an appellate court judge based in Springfield, to the federal bench. Shadid will replace U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm while Myerscough will take the spot of U.S. District Judge Jeanne Scott, who retired last year. Also confirmed with the two was a federal judge nominee from California. read full story

3/4/11 – Judicial emergency in Arizona extended
A court emergency declared for Arizona's federal courts because of a shortage of judges has been formally extended for a full year. read full story

3/3/11 – Another judiciary hearing for Cal’s Goodwin Liu
Goodwin Liu, associate dean and professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s Boalt Hall Law School, was back before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday for yet another hearing on his nomination to a seat on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

3/3/11 – Former U.S. Attorney for D.C., Wilma Lewis, nominated to Virgin Islands district court
The White House announced Wednesday that Wilma Lewis, former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, has been nominated to serve as a U.S. district judge in the Virgin Islands. read full story

3/3/11 – Groh suggested for federal judgeship
West Virginia Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin are asking President Barack Obama to nominate Circuit Court Judge Gina Marie Groh for a federal judgeship. read full story

3/3/11 – Nashville lawyer Kevin Sharp breezes through confirmation hearing
Nashville lawyer Kevin Sharp, whose nomination to be a federal judge was clouded by controversy, breezed through his confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

3/3/11 – Attorney awaits Senate floor vote for federal judgeship
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination Thursday morning of Albany attorney Mae D'Agostino for a federal judgeship, clearing the way for a full Senate vote. read full story

3/3/11 – Assistant U.S. attorney chosen as next federal judge for Maine
Nancy Torresen has been nominated to the federal bench for the Maine district, the White House announced Wednesday. read full story

3/3/11 – Bangor attorney may be first woman to become federal judge in Maine
President Obama on Wednesday nominated Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Torresen to serve as a federal judge in Portland. read full story

3/3/11 – Senate to act on Battaglia, Myerscough and Shadid judicial nominations
Senators will take action on three judicial nominees on Monday, March 7. read full story

3/2/11 – Ninth Circuit nominee Liu apologizes, again, to Alito
Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Goodwin Liu on Wednesday again apologized for a verbal volley he projected at Samuel Alito during Alito's Supreme Court nomination hearing in 2006. read full story

3/2/11 – President Obama names three to United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Nannette Jolivette Brown, Wilma Antoinette Lewis, and Nancy Torresen to United States District Court judgeships. read full story

3/2/11 – Liu says criticism of Alito showed ‘poor judgment’
Goodwin Liu told senators today that he showed "poor judgment" in the concluding paragraph of his 2006 testimony against the confirmation of Justice Samuel Alito Jr., further backing away from a statement that threatens to sink Liu's own judicial nomination. read full story

3/2/11 – President Barack Obama nominates Jolivette-Brown for federal court opening
President Barack Obama has nominated New Orleans City Attorney Nanette Jolivette-Brown to an opening on the federal District Court in New Orleans. read full story

3/1/11 – U.S. Senate panel may soon take up McConnell court bid
Providence lawyer John F. McConnell Jr.'s embattled nomination to Rhodes Island's federal trial court may soon be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the panel's chairman said late Monday. read full story

3/1/11 – U.S. Senate confirms Jones for federal bench
The U.S. Senate voted 90-0 Monday to confirm Steve Jones' nomination for a federal judgeship, fulfilling a nearly decade-old dream for the Western Circuit Superior Court judge. read full story

3/1/11 – Openings on the Eleventh Circuit
Last week, the Honorable Susan Black of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit announced that she would be stepping down from the bench once the Senate had confirmed a successor. read full story

2/27/11 – Judicial nominee praised for his work; opposed by Oklahoma’s senators
Arvo Mikkanen been an assistant U.S. attorney in Oklahoma City for more than 16 years, handling both criminal and civil cases in federal court, and he is praised by attorneys he’s worked with and against. read full story

2/25/11 – Obama has a new vacancy to fill on Atlanta appeals court
Judge Susan Black of the federal appeals court in Atlanta on Friday notified President Barack Obama she was taking senior status, opening up a second vacancy on the bench. read full story

2/24/11 – Judge nominee Kevin Sharp has Senate committee hearing March 2
The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a March 2 hearing on President Barack Obama's nomination of Nashville attorney Kevin Sharp to a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The hearing will be broadcast on the committee's website. read full story

2/23/11 – New York judicial nominees report income
The nomination of two New York lawyers for federal judgeships has opened small windows into Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr and the legal shop of a major cable provider. read full story

2/22/11 – Kirk searches for federal judge candidate
U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is looking for a nominee to be a federal judge. read full story

2/21/11 – Local attorney named to judicial review panel
A Jacksonville attorney has been named to a statewide bipartisan commission to recommend federal court judges for Illinois. read full story

2/18/11 – Coburn, Inhofe call for withdrawal of judicial nomination
Oklahoma's two U.S. senators on Thursday essentially declared the nomination of Arvo Mikkanen to be the next federal judge in Tulsa dead and urged the White House to withdraw it. read full story

2/18/11 – Former governor first approached judicial nominee
Arvo Mikkanen, the embattled nominee for a judicial post in Tulsa, revealed that former Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry first contacted him about filling the slot. read full story

2/18/11 – Senate schedules votes on two Obama judicial nominees
The long wait for two of President Barack Obama's nominees to fill vacancies on the U.S. District Court bench in Atlanta appears to be almost over. read full story

2/17/11 – ABA rates nominee as qualified but Coburn says nomination dead
The American Bar Association, which rates federal judicial nominees as either Well Qualified, Qualified or Not Qualified has given Oklahoma U.S. District Court nominee Arvo Mikkanen a unanimous rating of qualified, according to a posting on the ABA website. Mikkanen, a longtime federal prosecutor in Oklahoma City, was nominated by President Obama for a judgeship in the Northern District, based in Tulsa. read full story

2/17/11 – Nominee for 2nd Circuit wins committee vote
Despite some GOP concerns about her litigation experience, Yale University lawyer Susan Carney got the backing of the Senate Judiciary Committee today in her nomination for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. read full story

2/17/11 – Judiciary approves Carney, sends 2nd Circuit nomination to Senate
The U.S. Senate's Judiciary Committee this morning approved the federal appeals court nomination of Yale University lawyer Susan Carney, sending her name to the full Senate for confirmation. read full story

2/17/11 – Obama nominates Skavdahl to federal bench
President Barack Obama has nominated a former state district judge to the federal bench in Wyoming. read full story

2/17/11 – Shadid nomination back in U.S. Senate
The nomination of Peoria County Circuit Judge James Shadid to the federal bench has been sent to the U.S. Senate. read full story

2/16/11 – Obama nominates Graham ally for federal court
President Barack Obama, moving on the recommendation of Sen. Lindsey Graham, nominated to the federal bench Wednesday a South Carolina family court judge with a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. read full story

2/16/11 – President Obama names two to the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Judge Timothy M. Cain and Judge Scott W. Skavdahl to United States District Court judgeships. read full story

2/15/11 – Graves confirmed to 5th Circuit
The U.S. Senate voted Monday to confirm Mississippi Supreme Court Presiding Justice James Graves to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

2/14/11 – Senate set to vote on nominee for 5th circuit
James Graves Jr. is expected to make history today when he becomes the first African American from Mississippi to be confirmed for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. read full story

2/12/11 – Kalispell attorney Dana Christensen nominated to replace Judge Molloy
Attorney Dana Christensen has been tapped for consideration as a candidate to replace U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of Missoula, who will begin senior status this summer. read full story

2/11/11 – Senators skip over federal circuit nominee
One of President Barack Obama's nominees for an appellate judgeship has been waiting 10 months for a confirmation hearing, an unusual length of time given that the president's party has control of the U.S. Senate. read full story

2/11/11 – Kalispell attorney recommended for U.S. Judge Molloy’s post
Kalispell attorney Dana L. Christensen is under consideration to replace U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy. Christensen, 59, confirmed his interest in the job Friday. He is the lone recommendation from a five-attorney panel selected by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus. Christensen's name has been forwarded to President Barack Obama, who will nominate a judge candidate for consideration by the full Senate. read full story

2/10/11 – Senate to take up more nominations next week
The Senate is scheduled to return at 2 p.m. on Monday to continue consideration of amendments to S. 223, the Federal Aviation Administration re-authorization bill. read full story

2/10/11 – Initial Reaction Cool to Judicial Nominee
Arvo Mikkanen would seem to be an ideal candidate to become the only current federal judge of Native American descent. read full story

2/8/11 – Utah State Bar frustrated over lack of federal judicial nominations
SALT LAKE CITY — Leaders of the Utah State Bar are frustrated over the number of civil cases languishing in the federal courts system as they await judicial nominations from the White House. read full story

2/8/11 – Federal judicial vacancies reaching crisis point
Federal judges have been retiring at a rate of one per week this year, driving up vacancies that have nearly doubled since President Obama took office. The departures are increasing workloads dramatically and delaying trials in some of the nation's federal courts. read full story

2/8/11 – Bipartisanship needed to fill court vacancies: Reid
As the United States Senate on Monday night unanimously confirmed three judicial nominations – the first for the 112th Congress -- the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, called for a similar bi-partisanship in approving the rest of the judicial vacancies, which number more than 100. read full story

2/8/11 – Three presidential nominations later, Hernandez is in
Marco Hernandez finally was confirmed Monday as a U.S. District Court judge in Oregon after three years and three presidential nominations. read full story

2/7/11 – Senate OK of Laredo federal judge could break logjam
The U.S. Senate on Monday unanimously confirmed the appointment of U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Saldaña of Laredo, who with the 94-0 vote became the first federal judge appointed by President Barack Obama to a Texas judicial bench. read full story

2/7/11 – Holmes confirmed by Senate
The Senate today confirmed Fort Smith attorney P.K. Holmes to become a federal judge in western Arkansas. read full story

2/7/11 – Senate confirms three non-controversial judicial nominees
The Senate on Monday confirmed three judicial nominations, including one that failed to be confirmed in the last two Congresses and was originally appointed by President George W. Bush. read full story

2/7/11 – Democrats, Hoping To Break Through Impasse, Reach Deal On Three Judges
WASHINGTON -- In what Senate Democrats are hoping is a sign of forthcoming comity around the politics of filling judicial vacancies, Republicans have agreed not to block the confirmation of three nominees who had been stalled in the last Congress. read full story

2/6/11 – Questions surround judicial nomination of Arvo Mikkanen for Tulsa
The White House enlisted surrogates to validate its pick to fill a vacant judicial slot in Tulsa, but it remained unclear whether that would be enough to rescue one of the few American Indians selected for the federal bench in U.S. history. read full story

2/4/11 – Senate will tackle judicial nominations, FAA early next week
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) adjourned the upper chamber for the weekend, saying there will be votes early next week on three judicial nominees as well as additional debate on an aviation bill. read full story

2/4/11 – Senate Panel OKs Santa Clara Judge for U.S. Court
Edward Davila, a Santa Clara Superior Court judge nominated by President Obama to the federal court in San Jose, won unanimous approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday for the second time in three months. read full story

2/4/11 – Panel again backs judge’s nomination
For the second time, Western Circuit Superior Court Judge Steve Jones easily won the recommendation of the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

2/4/11 – Panel OKs Graves nomination again
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Thursday to approve the nomination of Mississippi Supreme Court Justice James Graves for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The vote is the second time the panel has approved sending Graves' nomination to the full Senate. read full story

2/3/11 – Stalled Judicial Nominations Move Forward Following Agreement by Reid, McConnell
In one of the first efforts at bipartisan goodwill -- or just plain cooperation -- the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday agreed to move forward 11 judicial nominations that had been languishing since the last session of Congress. read full story

2/4/11 – Obama’s District Court Nominee to Be Sole Native American on Federal Bench
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) commends the Obama Administration’s nomination of Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvo Mikkanen to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. read full story

2/3/11 – Judge’s ’sickening feeling’ and racism remarks allowed, Kozinski says
A magistrate judge’s remarks about “institutionalized racism” and the potential for intolerance after the Sept. 11 attacks don’t violate the judicial conduct code, according to the chief judge for the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

2/3/11 – Obama nominates Arvo Mikkanen, Kiowa, to serve as federal judge
President Barack Obama nominated Arvo Mikkanen, a member of the Kiowa Tribe, to serve as a federal judge for the Western District of Oklahoma. read full story

2/3/11 – Judicial hopeful faces Senate panel
From a question on her judicial philosophy to one on her lack of criminal law experience, attorney Mae D'Agostino, a nominee to be a federal judge, appeared to glide through her appearance Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington. read full story

2/3/11 – Senate committee approves judicial nominees
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously approved two of President Barack Obama's nominees to fill vacancies on the U.S. District Court in Atlanta. read full story

2/3/11 – Santa Clara County judge Davila another step closer to joining federal bench
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Edward Davila moved another step closer today to joining the Bay Area federal bench. read full story

2/3/11 – Senate committee advances P.K. Holmes
The Senate Judiciary Committee this morning voted to advance Fort Smith attorney P.K. Holmes to become a federal judge in Arkansas, reviving his confirmation bid that was stalled late last year. read full story

2/3/11 – First judicial nominee for Texas clears hurdle
President Barack Obama's first nominee for a judicial vacancy in Texas, U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Saldaña of Laredo, was approved by a Senate panel Thursday. read full story

2/3/11 – Senate committee approves federal appeals court nomination of Mississippi Justice James Graves
The presiding judge of the Mississippi Supreme Court has been given the thumbs up by the Senate Judiciary Committee for a second time and his nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is now headed for the full Senate. read full story

2/3/11 – Two candidates for D.C. federal court head to full senate
The Senate Judiciary Committee has unanimously approved 11 judicial nominations and sent them to the full Senate for consideration. The nominations mark the first federal court nominations to be sent to the full Senate in the 112th Congress. read full story

2/3/11 – Judiciary Committee + Nominees = Votes
Yesterday’s nominations hearing was followed today by a business meeting in which 11 nominees were voted out (full list at the end of this post). read full story

2/3/11 – Obama bucks home-state senators on judicial nominee
President Barack Obama is beginning to take a tougher line with Republican senators who object to his choice of federal judges. read full story

2/3/11 – President nominates federal prosecutor to be U.S. judge in Tulsa
President Barack Obama on Wednesday named a longtime federal prosecutor in Oklahoma City to be a U.S. district judge in Tulsa, but Sen. Tom Coburn immediately voiced his opposition. read full story

2/3/11 – Judge choice passes hurdle
 President Barack Obama's first nominee for a judicial vacancy in Texas, U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Saldaña of Laredo, was approved by a Senate panel Thursday. Saldaña is expected to be confirmed by the full Senate and would fill one of seven judicial vacancies in Texas that are creating a crisis as court cases pile up from increased drug and immigration cases along the border. read full story

2/3/11 – Obama Nominates Three to D.C. Superior Court
President Obama has nominated three Washington lawyers to serve as judges for the District of Columbia Superior Court. If confirmed, Jennifer Di Toro, Donna Murphy and Yvonne Williams would fill the vacancies created by the retirements of judges Kaye Christian, Brook Hedge and Judith Retchin. read full story

2/3/11 – Committee approves Holmes for judgeship
A Senate committee today approved 11 federal judicial nominations, including that of P.K. Holmes of Fort Smith for a western district of Arkansas judgeship. read full story

2/3/11 – Yale Counsel’s Nomination To U.S. Appeals Court Put On Hold
U.S. Senate Republicans on Thursday again delayed action on the nomination of Yale University deputy general counsel Susan L. Carney to the federal circuit court of appeals. read full story

2/2/11 – Misconduct complaint again Chen is dismissed
Some of the same remarks that GOP critics have relied on to stall Northern District Magistrate Judge Edward Chen’s nomination to an Article III slot have found their way into a formal judicial misconduct complaint against him. read full story

2/2/11 – Senate holds confirmation hearing for N.Y. judicial nominee
Five months after being nominated to fill a U.S. District Court vacancy in upstate New York, Albany, N.Y. lawyer Mae D'Agostino went before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to answer questions and advance her bid to win Senate confirmation. read full story

2/2/11 – President Obama names two to the United States District Court
Today, President Obama nominated Paul A. Engelmayer and Arvo Mikkanen to United States District Court judgeships. read full story

2/2/11 – Reid to test informal agreement with GOP, pushing judicial nominees this week
The first effort to break through what White House counsel Bob Bauer called a cold war political standoff over judicial confirmations will take place this week, as Senate Democrats will re-consider a batch of stalled nominees. read full story

2/1/11 – ‘Judicial emergencies’: WH counsel wants faster confirmation of judges
Calling the current high number of judicial vacancies nationwide "a matter of urgency" White House Counsel Bob Bauer today pledged to work with the new Congress to reverse the "slow crawl" of confirmations. read full story

2/1/11 – White House counsel calls for Senate to end judicial ‘cold war’
The Obama administration will try to forge a new path forward to get their judicial nominees through the Senate confirmation process, White House Counsel Bob Bauer said Tuesday. That plan would supposedly solve what Bauer termed a long-running "cold war" between Democrats and Republicans on judicial nominees. read full story

2/1/11 – Obama’s Chief Counsel: A cold war political crisis is endangering judicial nominees
 In an extremely rare public appearance on Tuesday, White House Counsel Bob Bauer attributed the "pernicious" crisis over the state of confirming judicial nominees to a Cold War-style political standoff that few properly witnessed or understood. read full story

2/1/11 – Obama’s lawyer previews new push to confirm judges
In a rare public appearance, White House Counsel Robert Bauer pleaded today for senators to allow confirmation votes on more of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees. read full story

2/1/11 – Obama’s chief lawyer sends message to senators on judicial nominations
White House Counsel Robert Bauer urged senators on Tuesday to speed up confirmation votes on President Barack Obama's judicial nominees. read full story

2/1/11 – White House counsel calls latest healthcare ruling just “part of process”
The White House’s top lawyer appears to be taking the latest legal setback for health care reform in stride.  Responding to Monday's ruling by a federal judge in Florida, White House counsel Robert Bauer said it was "part of a process" that will not result in the ultimate nullification of President Obama's signature domestic achievement. read full story

1/31/11 – Senator Mary Landreiu Suggests 7 People for 3 Openings at U.S. District Court of New Orleans
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., has submitted seven candidates for President Barack Obama to consider in filling three vacancies on the U.S. District Court of New Orleans. read full story

1/31/11 – Current, former big law partners pushed for judgeships
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is recommending a Day Pitney partner and a former Cravath, Swaine & Moore partner for vacancies on the busy federal bench in Manhattan. read full story

1/31/11 – Oetken, Law ‘91 could be first openly gay federal judge
J. Paul Oetken LAW ’91, a Jan. 26 judicial nominee in Manhattan, is poised to become the first openly gay man to serve as a federal judge if appointed. read full story

1/30/11 – Judge hopeful heading to D.C.
Attorney Mae D'Agostino, a nominee for a federal court judgeship, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, a step that could lead to her confirmation. read full story

1/28/11 – Obama nominates Manglona to US District Court for NMI
President Barack Obama nominated on Wednesday CNMI Superior Court associate judge Ramona V. Manglona to serve as U.S. District Court judge for the Northern Mariana Islands, a welcome news for many in the Commonwealth. read full story

1/28/11 – Senate approval next for Green’s judgeship
Monroe County District Attorney Michael Green still has a few hurdles to clear before becoming a federal judge, but scaled a major one with a nomination from President Barack Obama. read full story

1/28/11 – District attorney, general counsel are nominated for federal bench
An openly gay general counsel at Cablevision and the Monroe County district attorney have been nominated for U.S. District Court slots in New York by President Barack Obama. read full story

1/27/11 – Obama nominee for judge could be first openly gay man on the federal bench
President Obama has nominated a former Clinton administration lawyer to be a federal judge in Manhattan; he could become the first openly gay man to serve on the federal bench in the United States. read full story

1/27/11 – Mike Lee joins Senate Judiciary Committee
Senate Republicans have just announced committee assignments for this new Congress, and there’s excellent news for the Judiciary Committee: Newly elected senator Mike Lee of Utah—a Tea Party favorite—will join the committee as one of its eight Republicans. read full story

1/27/11 – Barack Obama nominates Michael Green for federal bench
Monroe County District Attorney Michael Green moved closer to a federal judgeship Wednesday after being formally nominated by President Barack Obama. read full story

1/27/11 – GOP glitch delays judicial hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday opened its work in the new Congress with a scheduling glitch that delayed a slew of judicial nominations and the formal introduction of a bill to overhaul the nation’s patent system. read full story

1/27/11 – Blumenthal, Lee join Senate Judiciary Committee
The committee that reviews President Barack Obama's judicial and Justice Department nominees and that is considering patent-law changes this year has at least two new members. read full story

1/26/11 – Obama fills judicial vacancy in South Texas
President Obama filled one of the long-empty federal judge slots in Texas Wednesday, nominating State District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of Corpus Christi to an opening on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. read full story

1/26/11 – President Obama Nominates Judge Henry F. Floyd for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Judge Henry F. Floyd is a distinguished jurist with over 18 years of judicial experience. For the past seven years, he has served as a U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina. read full story

1/26/11 – Obama taps two for federal court in Atlanta
President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Natasha Silas Perdew, a federal public defender, and U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda Walker, to fill open slots on the federal court in Atlanta. read full story

1/26/11 – President Obama Names Six to United States District Court
President Obama has sent seven new judicial nominations to the Senate today. read full story

1/26/11 – Obama nominates judge who ruled in Padilla case
President Barack Obama today nominated U.S. District Judge Henry Floyd for a vacancy on a federal appeals court, selecting a judge who had a key role in challenges to President George W. Bush's system of indefinite detention. read full story

1/26/11 – SC’s Floyd picked for 4th Circuit Court of Appeals
President Barack Obama has nominated U.S. District Court Judge Henry F. Floyd for a position on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

1/26/11 – Obama nominates Oetken for NY federal court spot
Today, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of J. Paul Oetken to serve as a U.S. District Court judge on the Southern District of New York. read full story

1/26/11 – Judge John Roll’s death prompts judicial emergency
In the moments before he was murdered, U.S. District Judge John Roll was waiting to talk to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords about an overload of cases in Arizona's federal courts. read full story

1/25/11 – Arizona federal courts declare caseload emergency, citing judge’s death
Federal courts in Arizona are declaring a judicial emergency and loosening some speedy-trial rules, citing in part the death of U.S. District Court Judge John Roll in a shooting rampage in Tucson earlier this month. read full story

1/25/11 – Judicial emergency declared in Arizona
Federal court officials declared a judicial emergency Tuesday in Arizona, allowing courts to delay criminal trials up to six months because of a shortage of judges worsened by the shooting death two weeks ago in Tucson of the state's chief jurist. read full story

1/25/11 – Senate committee sets vote on Graves
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote again Thursday on the nomination of James Graves Jr. to serve on the 5th U.S. Court of Appeals. read full story

1/25/11 – Us Appeals Court in SF declares judicial emergency in Arizona
A U.S. appeals court in San Francisco announced today that a judicial emergency has been declared in the federal courts in Arizona. read full story

1/24/11 – Senate leaders may cut by a third positions requiring confirmation votes
Senate leaders are negotiating a bipartisan plan to cut by as much as a third the roughly 1,200 executive-branch appointments requiring lawmaker confirmation in a bid to avert a showdown over the chamber’s rules, according to two Senate aides familiar with the talks. read full story

1/23/11 – Top senators seek deal on rules for nominations
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior senators are negotiating to reduce the 1,400 presidential appointments subject to time-consuming Senate confirmation, hoping to streamline a system that has frustrated administrations of both parties, according to officials familiar with the discussions. read full story

1/21/11 – Some Judicial Nominees May Face Second Hearings
Some of President Obama's nominees for federal judgeships may have to undergo second confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, some committee aides say. read full story

1/21/11 – Senate panel sets votes on judicial nominees
The Senate Judiciary Committee has once again scheduled votes for President Barack Obama's nominees to fill two of four vacancies on the U.S. District Court bench in Atlanta. read full story

1/21/11 – Will judicial nominees need new hearings?
Leaders on the Senate Judiciary Committee are in discussions about whether to hold second confirmation hearings for some of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees, aides say. read full story

1/20/11 – Judge Tacha to take senior status
President Barack Obama is getting his first chance to pick a Kansan for the federal appeals court that serves Kansas and five other states, The Topeka Capital-Journal has learned. read full story

1/14/11 – Federal judicial confirmation of local attorney uncertain
The start of a new Congress last week heaped only more uncertainty on a local man believed to be in line for a federal judgeship. read full story

1/13/11 – In Tucson Case, a Federal Judge Both ‘General and Traffic Cop’
The judge named to preside over the federal trial of Jared L. Loughner is a no-nonsense jurist who will keep the proceedings moving and focused, colleagues said. read full story

1/13/11 – Nelson Recommends Gerrard as Federal Judge
Wednesday, Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson recommended to President Obama that he nominate Nebraska Supreme Court Justice John Gerrard to become a federel judge in the United States District Court for Nebraska. read full story

1/12/11 – Johanns Supports Gerrard for Federal Judgeship
Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) today announced his support for the nomination of Nebraska Supreme Court Justice John Gerrard to the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska. read full story

1/12/11 – Ben Nelson recommends John Gerrard as U.S. district judge
Nebraska Supreme Court Justice John Gerrard was recommended Wednesday by Sen. Ben Nelson for nomination by President Barack Obama as U.S. District Court judge. read full story

1/11/11 – Murdered Arizona Judge Called For ‘Judicial Emergency’
As Arizona officials continue to deal with Saturday's shooting that killed six people including U.S. District Judge John Roll, the business of running one the nation's busiest federal courts continues with no immediate word of permanent relief coming soon. read full story

1/11/11 – Senate to reconsider scuttled judicial picks
The Senate will take quick action to try to push through judicial nominees Republicans blocked at the end of last year, judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy said Tuesday. read full story

1/11/11 – Toomey mum on federal judge nominees
The start of a new Congress last week heaped only more uncertainty on three local men believed to be in line for federal judgeships. read full story

1/10/11 – Three Ark-La-Tex judicial nominees resubmitted to U.S. Senate
Three Ark-La-Tex nominees were among those resubmitted by President Obama for approval by the 112^th Session of the U.S. Senate. The federal judicial appointments were first made in 2010, but hit a logjam in that session. read full story

1/10/11 – Norton’s Judicial Recommendations Renominated by Obama
The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced today that President Barack Obama has renominated Norton's recommendations for U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia judges, D.C. Superior Court Judge James "Jeb" E. Boasberg and Amy Berman Jackson. read full story

1/9/11 – Partisan politics costs Northern District of Ohio a seat on the federal bench
Partisan battles in Washington have cost northern Ohio a federal judge.


read full story

1/9/11 – Obama resubmits two for federal judgeships
President Obama resubmitted last week his nominations of Marco Hernandez and Michael Simon for U.S. District Court judgeships in Oregon. read full story

1/8/11 – Judge hopeful is renominated
Capital Region attorney Mae D'Agostino was renominated this week by President Barack Obama for a federal judgeship. Her initial nomination expired with the closing of the congressional session last year. read full story

1/8/11 – Johnson opposes White House judge nominations
Newly elected GOP Sen. Ron Johnson said Friday he should have been consulted before the White House resubmitted the nominations of Louis Butler and Victoria Nourse for federal judgeships and is at this time opposed to their confirmation. read full story

1/7/11 – Durbin Announces Bipartisan Screening Committee for Federal Judges in the Northern District
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today announced the formation of a bipartisan screening committee to assist in selecting Federal District Court Judges for the Northern District of Illinois. read full story

1/7/11 – Johnson says he should have been consulted on judicial nominees
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said today he's unhappy with the White House's resubmission of Louis Butler and Victoria Nourse as nominees for federal judicial positions. read full story

1/7/11 – Federal judgeship candidates re-nominated by Obama
President Obama has re-nominated three candidates for federal judgeships in the Central District of Illinois. read full story

1/6/11 – Charles B. Day renominated for Greenbelt court
President Obama has again nominated Charles B. Day for a seat on the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. read full story

1/6/11 – For a day, Congress sets aside partisan ire
WASHINGTON — In a day of pomp and family, the Quayles were reveling in the moment and the memory. read full story

1/6/11 – Obama Renominates Brooke Jackson For Federal Bench In Colo.
It’s a technicality, but an important one. read full story

1/6/11 – Urbanski, 41 others resubmitted for judiciary
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski, who hears cases in Roanoke's federal courts, was among 42 judicial nominations that President Obama resubmitted to the Senate on Wednesday. read full story

1/6/11 – Obama renominates Miami’s federal public defender for judgeship
Miami's longtime federal public defender Kathleen Williams has been renominated for a South Florida federal court judgeship by President Barack Obama. read full story

1/6/11 – Obama renews push for Bay Area judgeships
President Obama revived the Bay Area judicial nominations of law Professor Goodwin Liu and U.S. Magistrate Edward Chen on Wednesday, setting the stage for a showdown with a strengthened Republican minority in the Senate. read full story

1/6/11 – Shadid’s nomination for federal bench sent to Senate
PEORIA -- The White House on Wednesday resubmitted the nominations of three people from Illinois, including Peoria County Circuit Judge James Shadid, to the U.S. Senate in the hope all will be seated on the federal bench this year. read full story

1/6/11 – Obama renominates UC Berkeley professor to 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
President Barack Obama on Wednesday renominated a Cal law school dean to a seat on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, weeks after Senate leaders cut a deal not to seek his confirmation in the final hours of the last Congress. read full story

1/6/11 – McConnell renominated for U.S. District Court vacancy
WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday renominated Providence lawyer John J. McConnell Jr. to a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island. read full story

1/5/11 – Judge Robert Chatigny Drops Off Obama’s List Of Nominees For 2nd Circuit Court Of Appeals
U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny, whose nomination to the federal appeals court drew extraordinary criticism from Republicans and conservatives, has withdrawn from consideration. read full story

1/5/11 – Obama resubmits judicial nominations to Senate
President Barack Obama on Wednesday resubmitted a batch of federal judicial nominations that didn't clear the Senate last year, including four that provoked strong objections from some Republican lawmakers. read full story

1/5/11 – Obama renominates Judge Bernice Donald to appeals court
WASHINGTON — U.S. District Judge Bernice B. Donald of Memphis, whose Dec. 1 nomination to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals was not confirmed before the Senate’s adjournment last year, was renominated by President Barack Obama on Wednesday. read full story

1/5/11 – Obama Suffers First Defeat on Judge Picks
President Barack Obama today re-nominated, as expected, the vast majority of judicial nominees who were not confirmed at the end of 2010. But exactly one previous nominee is not among them: Judge Robert Chatigny for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. read full story

1/5/11 – Senate panel to review stalled picks
Senate leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell announced they would establish a bipartisan commission to address stalled executive nominations. read full story

01/05/11 – Obama Renominates More Than 40 Judicial Candidates
Faced with the prospect of increasingly lengthy court vacancies, the White House on Wednesday formally renominated more than 40 judicial candidates whose possible appointments were left in limbo during the last congressional session. read full story

1/5/11 – Obama again nominates Butler to federal bench
President Barack Obama isn't giving up in his attempt to hand a federal judgeship to former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler. read full story

1/5/11 – Obama renominates Goodwin Liu to Ninth Circuit
President Barack Obama today re-nominated Goodwin Liu, associate dean and professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s Boalt Hall Law School, to a seat on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, weeks after Senate leaders cut a deal not to seek his confirmation in the final hours of the last Congress. read full story

1/4/11 – Obama Will Try Again On More Than A Dozen Judicial Nominees
The White House will tomorrow renominate more than a dozen candidates for judicial positions on federal courts, a person familiar with the administration's plans tells NPR. read full story

1/4/11 – Judges react to Roberts’ report
The nationwide problem of judicial vacancies is a major focus in the year-end report of U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts.  Federal judges across the state were pleased to hear the chief justice address the issue. read full story

1/3/11 – Feldblum Approved for EEOC, DuMont Judicial Nomination in Question
On the Senate's last day in session, on Dec. 22, out lesbian Chai Feldblum was confirmed by the Senate for her position as a commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. read full story

1/1/11 – Chief justice urges end to partisan stalling
Without naming names or casting blame, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. called on Republicans and Democrats on Friday to put aside their differences and move more quickly to approve qualified nominees to be federal judges. read full story

1/1/11 – Chief Justice Roberts Urges End to Senate Holds on U.S. Judicial Nominees
U.S. Chief Justice John G. Roberts urged the U.S. Senate to find a way to stop holding up judicial confirmations for political reasons, citing overworked judges and mounting vacancies across the country. read full story

1/1/11 – Chief Justice Decries Brawling Over Judicial Nominees
WASHINGTON—Chief Justice John Roberts decried the partisan warfare that has slowed the appointment of federal judges to a crawl, writing in his year-end report Friday that political gamesmanship on Capitol Hill has left some courts burdened with "extraordinary caseloads." read full story

1/1/11 – Filibustering progress
Senate Democrats have asked their leadership to change the chamber’s rules and limit filibusters and procedural tactics that have blocked progress. read full story

12/31/10 – Chief: End partisan feuds over judgeships
Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., with a not-so-subtle suggestion that the Senate should stop playing politics with nominations of judges to the federal courts, on Friday called for a “long-term solution to this recurring problem.” read full story

12/31/10 – In Year-End Report, Roberts Urges End to Judicial Confirmation Logjam
In his annual report on the state of the federal judiciary, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. today called on the "political branches" -- the President and Congress -- to find a long-term solution to the "persistent problem" of filling judicial vacancies. read full story

12/31/10 – Roberts Seeks More Judicial Confirmations
WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. called on President Obama and the Senate on Friday to solve what he called “the persistent problem of judicial vacancies.” read full story

12/23/10 – Senate Fails to Confirm Holmes
The Senate will likely end its lame duck session Wednesday without confirming Fort Smith attorney Paul K. Holmes as a federal judge in Arkansas's western district. read full story

12/23/-10 – Graves nomination dies in U.S. Senate
The U.S. Senate has failed to act on the nomination of Mississippi Supreme Court Justice James E. Graves Jr. to a federal appeals post. read full story

12/21/10 – Senate Confirms William Joseph Martinez
Senators have confirmed William Joseph Martinez, of Colorado, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado, 58-37. read full story

12/21/10 – Senate Confirms Benita Pearson
Senators have confirmed Benita Y. Pearson, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio by a vote of 56-39. read full story

12/21/10 – Assistant U.S. Attorneys Urge Senate to Confirm Judges
The National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys called on Senate leaders to schedule votes on non-controversial judicial nominees, saying the vacancies were making it hard for prosecutors to be effective. read full story

12/21/10 – Ex-State Supreme Court Justice Butler Won’t Get Fed Judgeship
WASHINGTON D.C. (WTAQ) - It appears that former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler will not get a federal judgeship. read full story

12/21/10 – 324 Days Later the Honorable Albert Diaz Gets Senate Confirmation to U.S. Court of Appeals
The Senate confirmation of the Honorable Albert Diaz as Judge to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, has happened after 324 days, or almost 11 months from first being voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate confirming Judge Diaz on December 18, 2010. read full story

12/21/10 – 4th Circuit fills up
Winter is just starting, but the ice jam on the Potomac that for so long blocked the confirmation of North Carolina judges to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has broken loose. read full story

12/21/10 – Time running out on judicial nominee
WASHINGTON — The controversial judicial nomination of John J. McConnell Jr., a major Democratic campaign contributor and plaintiffs lawyer from Providence, is in danger of dying in the waning hours of the 111th Congress. read full story

12/21/10 – Pearson expected to be confirmed for district court
A year after being nominated by the president as a Youngstown-based federal district court judge, Benita Pearson is expected to be confirmed for the job by the U.S. Senate today. read full story

12/20/10 – Deal struck to OK many Obama judge picks
WASHINGTON — After a monthslong blockade, Senate Republicans have agreed to let at least 19 of President Barack Obama's noncontroversial judicial nominees win confirmation in exchange for a commitment by Democrats not to seek votes on four others, according to officials familiar with the deal. read full story

12/20/10 – Senate judicial confirmations skip 2 California nominees
Reporting from Washington — Some of President Obama's most disputed judicial nominations — including UC Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu and San Francisco federal Magistrate Edward M. Chen — are about to expire without getting a vote in the Senate. read full story

12/20/10 – Quiet deal on Obama’s judge nominees in the Senate
WASHINGTON – After a monthslong blockade, Senate Republicans have agreed to let at least 19 of President Barack Obama's non-controversial judicial nominees win confirmation in the waning days of the congressional session in exchange for a commitment by Democrats not to seek votes on four others, according to officials familiar with the deal. read full story

12/20/10 – Senate Unanimously Confirms Long-Pending Circuit Court Nomination, Three District Nominees
WASHINGTON – During a rare Saturday session, the Senate unanimously confirmed two, long-pending federal judicial nominations. read full story

12/19/10 – Senate Confirms Carlton W. Reeves
Senators have confirmed Carlton W. Reeves, of Mississippi, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi by Voice Vote. read full story

12/19/10 – Senate Confirms Raymond Joseph Lohier, Jr.
Senators have confirmed Raymond Joseph Lohier, Jr., of New York, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit by a vote of 92-0. read full story

12/18/10 – Diaz confirmed by Senate
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Charlotte Judge Al Diaz to sit on the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals read full story

12/18/10 – Senate confirms Diaz
The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit has a new judge. Today the Senate unanimously confirmed Albert Diaz, 50, of North Carolina, making him the first Latino in the court’s history. read full story

12/19/10 – Senate confirms Susan Richard Nelson as federal judge in MN
Federal Magistrate Susan Richard Nelson has been confirmed by the Senate to fill a vacant federal judgeship from Minnesota. read full story

12/18/10 – Senate Confirms District Judges in Illinois, Hawaii
Senate Confirms Edmond E-Min Chang and Leslie E. Kobayashi. read full story

12/18/10 – Senate Confirms Ellen Lipton Hollander
Senators have confirmed Ellen Lipton Hollander, of Maryland, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland by a vote of 95-0. read full story

12/18/10 – Senate Confirms Albert Diaz
Senators have confirmed Albert Diaz, of North Carolina, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit by Voice Vote. read full story

12/18/10 – Senate Confirms District Judges in Minnesota, Massachusetts
Last night, Senators unanimously confirmed the following judicial nominations: Susan Nelson & Dennis Casper read full story

12/16/10 – Senate confirms judicial nominees
The Senate unanimously confirmed four of 38 pending judicial nominations Thursday evening, the first of President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees to be approved since September. read full story

12/16/10 – Senate Clears Four Judges
The Senate on Thursday evening confirmed four federal judges whose nominations had been stalled, leaving 34 judicial nominations pending. read full story

12/16/10 – Senate Confirms Four Nominations; 34 Remain Pending
The Senate Thursday night confirmed four long-pending judicial nominations, each of which received unanimous support from the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

12/16/10 – Eagles finally gets through the Senate
Congratulations to Greensboro's Catherine Eagles, whose nomination for a federal judgeship was confirmed by the U.S. Senate just minutes ago. read full story

12/16/10 – Kimberly Mueller confirmed as federal district judge, finally
The long wait is over for Kimberly Mueller. The federal magistrate judge and former Sacramento City Council member was finally confirmed as a federal district judge today by the U.S. Senate after months of inexplicable delay. read full story

12/15/10 – Crime and Courts: Louis Butler’s bid for federal courts hit
Despite earlier optimism from U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl's office, Louis Butler's nomination to the federal bench may be dead in the water, according to the Politico. read full story

12/15/10 – Senate deal may fill one long-vacant spot on federal bench
While a judicial shortage on Colorado's federal bench continues to fester, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Republicans are trying to work out a deal to confirm some of President Barack Obama's nominees before Congress adjourns next week. read full story

12/14/10 – Senate is Still Working on Judicial Nominees
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said today he still wants to confirm more judicial nominees before adjourning for the year, but he gave no hints about what an agreement might look like. read full story

12/14/10 – Clock ticking for Charlotte judicial nominees
Two Charlotteans who are the nation's longest-waiting nominees for federal posts will see their nominations expire if the lame-duck U.S. Senate fails to approve them. read full story

12/14/10 – Federal court in Detroit needs 2 new judges
Applications are available for people who want to become a federal judge in Detroit. read full story

12/13/10 – Will Hill be Home for Christmas?
Reid and McConnell are working on an agreement to consider confirming a number of pending executive branch and judicial nominees. read full story

12/12/10 – Obama’s judicial pick seen as snub to TN congressional Dems
With his nomination of Nashville lawyer Kevin Sharp to a federal judgeship, President Barack Obama chose to curry favor with Tennessee's powerful Republican senators and snubbed Tennessee's Democratic congressional delegation. read full story

12/10/10 – Harry Reid, Republicans in talks on judicial nominees
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is negotiating a deal with Republican leaders to confirm a long list of President Barack Obama's judicial nominations that have idled on the Senate calendar for months, sources say. read full story

12/9/10 – Judge Diaz’s confirmation to 4th Circuit at top of Hagan’s priorities for reminder of lame-duck session
North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan (D) has said confirming Judge Albert Diaz to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals is one of her top priorities for the reminder of this lame-duck session of Congress. Hagan wrote in a op-ed for The Herald Sun Wednesday: read full story

12/9/10 – Hispanic Bar Association Commends Advancement of Latino Judicial Nominees
The Hispanic National Bar Association (HBNA) commends President Barack Obama for nominating the Honorable Esther Salas for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. read full story

12/8/10 – Oregon Judicial Candidates Advance In U.S. Senate
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee advanced to the full Senate Wednesday the nominations of two men waiting to fill federal judgeships in Oregon. As Simon Boas reports, this is one more step forward in a very long process. read full story

12/8/10 – Panel sends Jones’ judicial nomination to Senate
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted to send Steve Jones, President Barack Obama's nominee to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court in Atlanta, to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. read full story

12/8/10 – Asheville attorney’s nomination headed to full Senate
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday unanimously endorsed the nomination of Asheville attorney Max Cogburn, Jr. , to be a U.S. District judge for the Western District of North Carolina. read full story

12/8/10 – Hagan: Confirm Diaz for Court of Appeals
Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan told reporters this morning that she has two North Carolina-related priorities for the waning weeks of the 111th Congress. read full story

12/7/10 – Berks president judge to seek seat on federal bench
Berks County President Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl confirmed Monday that he will seek the nomination for a federal judgeship in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. read full story

12/6/10 – Obama Nominates Tax Judge for Another Term
President Barack Obama has made his second nomination to the U.S. Tax Court, putting forward one of the court's sitting judges for another 15-year term. read full story

12/3/10 – Judge Allen withdraws name from federal court job
Detroit— Wayne County Circuit Judge David Allen has withdrawn his name from consideration for an opening in Detroit's federal court following a two-year delay in his nomination. read full story

12/31/10 – Justice Roberts urges end to partisan fights blocking action on federal judges
There is an "urgent need" for Senate Democrats and Republicans to put aside their bickering and fill federal judicial vacancies, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote Friday in his annual State of the Judiciary report. read full story

12/3/10 – Federal judicial nominee Hornak faces stiff test in Senate
A Pittsburgh lawyer who represented the Sports & Exhibition Authority in the collapse of the city's convention center floor and represented a group seeking to end patronage in government has been nominated for the federal bench. read full story

12/2/10 – Obama nominates Wright Allen to be Hampton Roads’ newest federal judge
President Barack Obama has nominated Arenda L. Wright Allen, a Norfolk-based assistant federal public defender, to be Hampton Roads' newest federal judge. read full story

12/2/10 – Obama nominates Scranton attorney to district judge position
President Barack Obama nominated a Scranton labor attorney to the federal bench Wednesday, naming Robert D. Mariani as his choice for U.S. District Court judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. read full story

12/2/10 – Obama picks Urbanski for federal court post
President Obama announced Wednesday evening that he is nominating U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski of Roanoke for a vacant federal district court judge's seat in the Western District of Virginia. read full story

12/2/10 – D.C. judicial nominees stuck in Senate logjam
The Senate Judiciary Committee cleared two of President Obama's nominees to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday, but they and two other picks for the court appear stuck for now amid an end-of-session Senate logjam. read full story

12/1/10 – Federal Judge Nominee Moves Forward
WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of confirming Fort Smith attorney Paul K. Holmes as a federal judge in Arkansas' western district. read full story

12/1/10 – Obama’s first Texas judicial nominee wins committee approval
U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Saldaña of Laredo made history today: She became President Barack Obama’s first Texas judicial nominee to win the approval of the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

12/1/10 – Shadid nomination to federal court up for full Senate vote
PEORIA — The Senate Judicial Committee voted to send the nomination of Peoria County Circuit Judge James Shadid to the federal bench to the full Senate for a vote. read full story

12/1/10 – Obama nominates New Jersey federal judges
President Obama is looking to promote a pair of U.S. magistrate judges in New Jersey. read full story

12/1/10 – U.S. District Judge Kopf announces he will retire Dec. 1, 2011
U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf announced Wednesday he will retire from regular service in a year. read full story

12/1/10 – Obama nominates Judge Bernice Donald for Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
WASHINGTON -- U.S. District Judge Bernice B. Donald of Memphis has been nominated by President Barack Obama to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. read full story

12/1/10 – Graves nomination OK’ed Senate panel
JACKSON, Miss. -- The nomination of Mississippi Supreme Court Justice James E. Graves Jr. to a federal appeals post was approved Wednesday by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

12/1/10 – Chatigny Nomination To 2nd Circuit Court In Danger As Committee Again Side-Steps Action
The U.S. Senate's judiciary committee today again side-stepped action on federal judge Robert N. Chatigny's nomination to the 2^nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, another indication that Republican misgivings about Chatigny's record could kill the nomination in the current session of Congress. read full story

12/1/10 – UPDATE: Senate panel clears Holmes for federal bench; Leahy decries delays
WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously today in favor of confirming Fort Smith attorney Paul K. Homes as a federal judge in Arkansas’ western district. read full story

12/1/10 – Edward Davila wins key senate endorsement for federal judge
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Edward Davila today moved a key step closer to a federal judgeship. read full story

12/1/10 – Totenberg nomination headed to Senate
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted to send President Barack Obama's judicial nomination of Atlanta lawyer Amy Totenberg to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. read full story

12/1/10 – CORRECTED: Confirmations
Correction: McConnell's spokesman contacted me this afternoon to say that this letter only applies to legislation, and not to nominations. The above post, now stricken-through, was the result of a miscommunication, and was my error. read full story

12/1/10 – Barrier-Breaking US District Court Judge Is Nominated for Seat on 6th Circuit Court of Appeals
An award-winning, barrier-breaking federal district court judge has been nominated by President Barack Obama for a seat on the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

11/26/10 – Judicial appointments delayed in D.C. logjam
WASHINGTON — Washington gridlock has created a legal logjam when it comes to several key Utah judicial appointments, leaving an unprecedented set of vacancies, which, some say, could endanger the administration of justice. read full story

11/26/10 – Judicial vacancies: justice denied, say legal experts
It was a call to action to advocates in the Jewish community. read full story

11/26/10 – Senate panel schedules vote on Totenberg nomination
The Senate Judiciary Committee has once again scheduled a vote for Amy Totenberg, President Barack Obama's nominee to the federal court bench in Atlanta. The panel had previously scheduled a vote on her nomination earlier this month but postponed it. read full story

11/22/10 – National Law Journal: One Last Shot–Democrats aim for votes on controversial judicial nominees
Before the Democratic majority shrinks at the end of the year, senators are preparing for a possible showdown over President Barack Obama's most controversial judicial nominees. read full story

11/22/10 – Time running out on Chatigny nomination
WASHINGTON-As the clock runs out on Congress' lame duck session, the fate of a controversial Connecticut judicial nominee, Robert Chatigny, appears increasingly in doubt. His nomination remains in limbo even though the court he hopes to join is operating under a "judicial emergency," with three long-pending vacanies waiting to be filled. read full story

11/22/10 – Do Sens. Reid and McConnell read their mail?
On Friday, Ashley L. Belleau, president of the Federal Bar Association, wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), urging the leaders to take action, at the very least, on the 17 candidates awaiting confirmation votes from the full Senate who passed out of the Judiciary Committee “by unanimous consent or without controversy.” This includes Albert Diaz, a North Carolina judge who was nominated by President Obama last November for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit that has been vacant for 1240 days and has been declared a “judicial emergency” by the Administrative Office of the Courts. read full story

11/19/10 – Attorney Max Cogburn Jr. pledges fairness during US Senate hearing
Attorney Max Cogburn Jr. pledged during a U.S. Senate hearing in Washington to be fair, impartial and follow the law if confirmed for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. read full story

11/18/10 – After Long Wait Oregon Judgeships May Finally Get Filled
Wednesday the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee questioned two nominees who have been waiting to fill federal judgeships in Oregon. read full story

11/18/10 – Oregon judicial nominees advance
WASHINGTON — Two judicial nominees from Oregon — Judge Marco Hernandez and lawyer Michael Simon — came to the nation's capital Wednesday for a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

11/18/10 – Obama taps Nashville lawyer Kevin Sharp for federal bench
President Barack Obama nominated Nashville attorney Kevin Sharp on Wednesday for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, according to a media release from the White House. read full story

11/17/10 – President Obama Nominates Six to United States District Court
read full story

11/17/10 – Senate may hold weekend session to confirm stalled nominees
Democratic leadership aides are warning that the Senate may be in session over the weekend of Nov. 20 and 21 to deal with the backlog of President Obama’s nominations. read full story

11/17/10 – Sen. Whitehouse: Process starts for vote on McConnell
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said Wednesday that the parliamentary process has been set in motion for a Senate floor vote this year on President Obama's controversial nomination of Providence lawyer John J. McConnell Jr. to the United States District Court in Rhode Island. read full story

11/17/10 – Democrats Plan Votes on Controversial Nominees, Senator Says
President Barack Obama's nominees for the federal judiciary have stalled for months in part because of heated disagreement over a handful of nominees. Now, Senate Democrats are looking at forcing votes on four of them. read full story

11/17/10 – Matheson appeals court nomination still awaiting vote
Washington • Scott Matheson Jr. sailed through his Judiciary Committee vetting last summer, raising very little concern about his nomination to the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. read full story

11/16/10 – Another Vacancy Coming in D.C. Federal Court
Washington's delegate to Congress is taking applications for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, in anticipation of Judge Ricardo Urbina taking senior status. read full story

11/16/10 – Norton’s Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission Accepting Applications for U.S. District Court Judgeship
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that her Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission (Commission) is accepting applications to fill a U.S. District Court judge position for the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia.  Application questionnaires are available online at: http://norton.house.gov/. President Obama, like President Clinton, granted Norton senatorial courtesy to recommend federal district court judges and other important federal law enforcement officials in the District.  President Obama has sent all of Norton's recommendations to the Senate including, District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen and U.S. Parole Commission Chairman Isaac Fulwood, Jr., along with U.S. District Court judge nominees Beryl Howell and Robert Wilkins, who have been reported out of committee and are expected to be confirmed shortly. read full story

11/16/10 – Graves nomination before Senate panel
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The nomination of Mississippi Supreme Court Justice James E. Graves Jr. to a federal appeals post is scheduled to be considered Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

11/15/10 – Vacancy opens in fed. judiciary
WICHITA — The semiretirement of U.S. District Judge John Lungstrum has created a vacancy on the federal bench in Kansas at a time political gridlock is stalling many judicial appointments across the country. read full story

11/15/10 – Vacancy opens up in federal judiciary in Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - U.S. District Judge John Lungstrum has taken senior status on the federal court in Kansas, creating a vacancy at a time when political gridlock is delaying judicial appointments across the nation. read full story

11/15/10 – Judicial nominees still hanging in limbo
For an example of how dysfunctional Washington has become, Americans need look no further than the judicial-confirmation process. read full story

11/12/10 – Grassley to become top Republican on Judiciary Committee
DES MOINES - When the 112th Congress convenes in January, a familiar title won't be next to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's name. read full story

11/11/10 – Senate hearing for Jones begins next week
Steve Jones, a lifelong Athens resident and longtime Superior Court judge, will face members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee next week as they consider his nomination to a federal judgeship. read full story

11/10/10 – Hearing set for Atlanta federal judge nominee
The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a Nov. 17 nomination hearing for Steve Jones, a nominee of President Barack Obama to the U.S. District Court in Atlanta. read full story

11/10/10 – Congress Taking Up Oregon Judicial Appointments
Congress is moving next week to clear some backed-up judicial appointments, including two positions for Oregon’s federal bench. read full story

11/8/10 – Governor Freudenthal submits three names for federal judicial vacancy
Cheyenne, Wyo. – Governor Dave Freudenthal sent a list of three names to the White House for President Barack Obama’s consideration for a federal judicial vacancy in Wyoming.  In a letter to Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina, Gov. Freudenthal listed the three potential candidates as successors to Judge William F. Downes, of Casper: Scott K. Skavdahl of Casper, Steven K. Sharpe of Cheyenne and Mark Gifford of Casper. read full story

11/7/10 – Third time’s a charm? Butler may finally be confirmed for federal bench
Louis Butler may finally get a shot at being a federal judge. read full story

11/6/10 – City Attorney Nanette Jolivette-Brown is a nominee for federal judgeship
City Attorney Nanette Jolivette-Brown is on a list of three nominees to fill a federal judgeship in New Orleans that's been sent to President Barack Obama by U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu. read full story

11/4/10 – Lame Duck Congress, Lots to Do, Little Time
Forty six of Obama’s judicial and executive branch nominees are still on the Senate executive calendar awaiting action. read full story

11/4/10 – Election Likely to Affect EPA Litigation, Judicial Nominations
The repercussions of Republican successes in Tuesday's midterm elections are likely to be felt not just on Capitol Hill but also in courtrooms. read full story

11/3/10 – Republican Gains in Senate Mean New Faces on Judiciary
When the 112th Congress convenes in January, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will likely remain chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. But two of the committee's top-ranking Democrats will not return, and Republican gains in the upper chamber mean a few new faces may show up on the left side of committee room. read full story

11/3/10 – Three Senate Races Too Close to Call
A day after voters headed to the polls, three key Senate races remain too close to call. read full story

11/1/10 – Election 2010 and the Senate Judiciary Committee
What consequences might tomorrow’s election have for the Senate Judiciary Committee? read full story

11/1/10 – Judicial activism
Once again, the first Monday in October has brought another term at the U.S. Supreme Court. And once again, the Court has taken up questions of constitutional and statutory law that deeply affect the lives of all Americans. read full story

11/1/10 – What Would GOP Takeover of Congress Mean for Judiciary Committees?
Most polls suggest that Republican candidates will win enough seats in Tuesday's midterm election to take over the House of Representatives, if not the Senate, for the first time since 2007. If this occurs, all of the committee leadership positions will change over into GOP hands. If the House becomes Republican, for example, no longer will Rep. John Conyers, the iconic Democratic from Michigan, preside over the House Judiciary Committee. And if the GOP picks up a Senate majority, a longer shot if you believe the odds, no longer will Sen. Patrick Leahy, the bald patrician from Vermont, preside over judicial nominations before the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story

10/29/10 – Rejection of Schumer’s Choice Complicates Filling Bench Vacancy
Daniel S. Alter seemed like the right candidate at the right time for a seat on the Southern District bench, until words he claimed he did not say came back to haunt him. read full story

10/25/10 – Obama’s isle judicial pick stalled
The confirmation of President Barack Obama's appointment of U.S. Magistrate Leslie Kobayashi as a U.S. district judge to fill a 15-month-old vacancy has been delayed. read full story

10/19/10 – Commodity Futures Trading Commission judge says colleague biased against complainants
As George H. Painter was preparing to retire recently as one of two administrative law judges presiding over investor complaints at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, he issued an extraordinary request: read full story

10/14/10 – Schumer Recommends Bill Kuntz to Serve on Eastern District Court
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) announced that he is recommending Bill Kuntz to President Obama to serve as a judge in the prestigious Eastern District federal court. If confirmed, Kuntz would become the second African American judge on the court. Schumer laid out several reasons Kuntz would be an excellent fit for the job, citing his stellar legal background, even-handedness, temperament and commitment to public service. read full story

10/8/10 – Brown, Voinovich Announce Nomination Process for Filling Anticipated Vacancy for U.S. District Judgeship in Ohio’s Northern District
WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and George V. Voinovich (R-OH) today announced the start of the process for recommending a candidate to fill the anticipated vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. A vacancy will be created following the confirmation of Judge Kate O’Malley, who was nominated by President Obama in March to serve on United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. read full story

10/6/10 – All Federal Circuit Vacancies Now Have Nominees, but Quick Confirmation Unlikely
President Barack Obama's recent nomination of Jimmie Reyna for one of three vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit covers all open slots and adds a candidate with deep international trade expertise. But court watchers expect that at least two of the confirmations to the 12-judge court, including Reyna's, will stretch into next year. read full story

10/2/10 – Senate’s judicial graveyard
One of the saddest spectacles in public life today is the decline and fall of the U.S. Senate, a once-great institution where debate and deliberation over matters of great importance and occasional bipartisan cooperation produced landmark legislation that carried with it the healthy imprint of widespread consensus. read full story

10/1/10 – Senate Recesses Without Confirming 23 Judges; Obama Lashes Out
Political partisanship has its place, sure.  But as loyal LBers know, we think that partisanship on the issue of federal judges is, yes, hurting our judicial system and hurting our country. read full story

10/1/10 – Obama Blasts GOP for Stalling Judicial Nominations
President Obama has once again complained to lawmakers about the slow pace of judicial confirmations, calling the blocking of his nominations “a dramatic shift from past practice that could cause a crisis in the judiciary.” read full story

9/30/10 – President Obama hits GOP on judicial nominations
President Obama accused Republican senators Thursday of setting the U.S. courts system “on a dangerous course” that could leave the federal bench half empty within a decade if they continue to block his judicial nominees. read full story

9/30/10 – Judge who struck down Prop. 8 to retire
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who struck down California's ban on same-sex marriage last month, will retire at the end of this year, his court said Wednesday. read full story

9/29/10 – Senate blocks recess appointments with deal between Dems, GOP
Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday night to a Republican demand to block President Obama from making recess appointments while Congress is out of town campaigning for the midterm elections. read full story

9/29/10 – Obama to tap NY lawyer for DC circuit
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is nominating an attorney from New York County's district attorney's office to a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. read full story

9/29/10 – Quit stalling on these judges
President Obama's nominations to the federal bench have been stalled by Republicans in continuation of a partisan feud that dates back, depending on who's counting, to the George W. Bush, Clinton or Reagan administrations. Three California nominees are emblematic of the problem. They were all approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee months ago and received stellar evaluations from the American Bar Assn., but it's possible they won't be confirmed by the Senate (or will be rejected, though that would be a travesty) before the 111th Congress winds down. read full story

9/28/10 – Now vacant: A confirmation crisis in our courts
More than a year ago, President Obama nominated Jane Stranch, a respected Nashville labor lawyer, to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. That vacancy had been declared a "judicial emergency" because the Sixth Circuit does not have enough judges to promptly or effectively handle the court's caseload, leading to serious delays in the administration of justice to people in Tennessee and other parts of the 6th Circuit. Yet despite the fact that Judge Stranch enjoyed the support of both of her Republican home-state senators and bipartisan support in the Senate Judiciary Committee, she was forced to wait almost 300 days for an up-or-down vote by the full Senate. When she finally received that vote earlier this month, she was confirmed overwhelmingly. read full story

9/28/10 – GOP responds to Holder’s judicial confirmation op-ed
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. writes in today's Washington Post that "The confirmation process is so twisted in knots that we are losing ground," as he implores the Senate to confirm federal judges before breaking for the November elections: read full story

9/28/10 – Commentary: Senate should confirm Judge Diaz before recess
When President Barak Obama assumed office in Jan. 2009, the Fourth Circuit had openings in four of its 15 judgeships.  Accordingly, it was urgent the White House promptly fill these vacancies. read full story

9/28/10 – Diaz closer to confirmation for federal bench
Of all the judicial nominees awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Senate, none has waited longer than Charlottean Albert Diaz. Now supporters hope the wait is about to end. read full story

9/27/10 – Vacant Stares
The prospect of a federal bench with nearly one out of every eight judicial seats vacant should scare the pants off every American. Yet few Americans are as worked up about it as those of us who think and worry about it a lot. Our argument was already a tough sell before the threat of global terrorism and a collapsed economy ate up every moment of the national political conversation. Now a 10 percent judicial vacancy rate seems like a Code Beige emergency in a Code Red world. read full story

9/27/10 – Senators’ use of ‘anonymous hold’ contributes to backlog of stalled judicial nominations
Three nominees for federal courts based in the District of Columbia were among the seven approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday as part of its final push to send judicial nominations to the Senate floor before Congress recesses until after the election. read full story

9/25/10 – Senate should vote on Matheson judge nomination
You probably have not heard much about the nomination of Scott Matheson Jr. by President Obama to serve on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. There is a reason for that: Matheson’s nomination is utterly without controversy. read full story

9/25/10 – Murkowski: Change needed for judicial nominations
JUNEAU, Alaska - U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski says Senate rules should be changed to allow the names of judicial nominees to more quickly be moved to a vote. read full story

9/24/10 – Republican Obstruction is Holding the Judicial System Hostage
On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent seven more of President Obama's judicial nominees to the full Senate for a final vote. They are joining 16 others currently stuck in procedural quicksand, blocked from confirmation by an intractable and shameless Republican minority. read full story

9/24/10 – Judge Puts Out a Call for Former Clerk
Federal judges tend to avoid getting publicly involved in U.S. Senate confirmation battles, but a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit became an exception this week with a nomination involving a former clerk of his. read full story

9/24/10 – Senate panel OKs Liu, Chen nominations – again
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved President Obama's nominations of Goodwin Liu and Edward Chen for federal judgeships in San Francisco on party-line votes Thursday and sent them to the Senate floor for what may be their last chance to win confirmation.  read full story

9/24/10 – Senate sparks disorder in court
Partisan Senate fights over federal judges, usually reserved for higher-level court vacancies, has spread to federal district court nominations, leading to bitter conflicts over what had traditionally been routine confirmations.  read full story

9/23/10 – No Clear Path Yet For Many Obama Judicial Nominees
Since President Obama arrived in the White House, the Senate has confirmed 41 of his judicial nominees. read full story

9/23/10 – Who’s Back? Liu’s Back!
Is there any political process more dysfunctional than the judicial-appointment process? read full story

9/23/10 – Why the slow confirmations?
The Democrats in the Senate have the largest majority of either party since 1979, when Democrats held 61 seats. In the 2006 and 2008 elections, Democrats gained a total of 15 seats in the Senate before losing the Massachusetts Class I seat to Scott Brown. read full story

9/23/10 – GOP renews opposition to McConnell approval
WASHINGTON — With the Senate Judiciary Committee slated to renew on Thursday its consideration of John J. McConnell Jr. for a federal judgeship in Rhode Island, the ranking Republican on the panel has predicted that the Providence lawyer’s nomination won’t be brought up for a Senate confirmation vote this year. read full story

9/23/10 – Democrats Push Forward on Goodwin Liu, Other Judicial Nominees
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines today to advance the nomination of law professor Goodwin Liu to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, signaling they're not ready to give up on one of President Barack Obama's most controversial nominees. read full story

9/22/10 – An Extreme Judicial Blockade
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday with an agenda that includes consideration of nominees for federal district and circuit court judgeships who have already been approved by the committee once, or even twice. read full story

9/22/10 – Don’t Wait Another Minute: Confirm Goodwin Liu
Commentators and journalists have been focusing recently on the pace of confirmations to federal judicial positions -- and for good reason. Procedural roadblocks have become routine even for nominees with bipartisan support -- resulting in a dramatic slowdown in judicial confirmations. Even Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, noting the delays in the judicial confirmation process in a speech last August, asked whether the process is "working the way it should be." read full story

9/17/10 – 4th Circuit Becomes New Front in Battle Over Judges
With this week's confirmation of Nashville, Tenn., lawyer Jane Stranch to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, there's a new focus in the sparring over judicial nominees. read full story

9/17/10 – Barack Obama Cites GOP ‘game playing’
For weeks, President Barack Obama has accused Senate Republicans of “game playing” to stall his judicial nominees, but legal observers and liberal activists say the White House has spent too much energy on big-ticket agenda items like the stimulus bill and Wall Street reform — at the expense of an opportunity to recalibrate a court system that the Bush and Reagan administrations pushed to the right. read full story

9/15/10 – “Judicial Emergency” – Who’s to Blame?
The numbers are indisputable: 103 federal court vacancies, 38 of them classified by the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts as “judicial emergencies.” A growing chorus of court watchers say it’s time to get serious about the problem and start demanding solutions. read full story

9/14/10 – Judge Chatigny, Part Two
President Barack Obama, frustrated earlier by Republican opposition, has renominated Hartford district judge Robert N. Chatigny to the federal appeals court. But the new nomination could face an even tougher political fight if confirmation is delayed until November's mid-term election, when many analysts predict Republicans will pick up U.S. Senate seats. read full story

9/14/10 – How the Judicial Confirmation Crisis Threatens Our Constitution
The Senate voted Monday to confirm Jane Branstetter Stranch to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, at long last filling a seat on one of our nation's most important courts that had been vacant for two-and-a-half years. This inexcusable delay in Stranch's confirmation highlights a growing problem that undermines the very spirit of the U.S. Constitution, whose 223rd anniversary we celebrate this week. read full story

9/13/10 – Obama Renominates Five Stalled Judcial Appointees
Not backing down from the fairly taxing battle to fill some of the vacant ranks of the judiciary, President Obama has formally renominated five judges whose candidacies were previously derailed by Senate Republicans. read full story

9/13/10 – Over 100 Federal Judicial Slots Are Unfilled. So Where’s the Outrage?
The stalemate in the Senate over judicial confirmations isn’t exactly the stuff of headlines. It’s not jobs, Afghanistan, health-care, or, for that matter, Don Draper. read full story

9/13/10 – Nashville attorney confirmed to federal appeals court
WASHINGTON — Jane Branstetter Stranch, a second generation Nashville attorney active in civic affairs, was confirmed on Monday to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. read full story

9/13/10 – Former Federal Court Judges Decry Senate Inaction on Judicial Nominations
Washington, D.C. – A group of former federal court judges appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents is urging the Senate to take immediate action on languishing judicial nominations in a letter to Senate leaders distributed by the American Constitution Society (ACS). read full story

9/13/10 – The Blame Game
Democrats are still annoyed at the slow pace of judicial confirmations under President Obama, and have been regularly complaining to the media. Unfortunately, they have identified precisely the wrong culprit. read full story

9/13/10 – The GOP’s secret, successful judicial war
Now that President Obama has tucked away two Supreme Court justices, a greater challenge awaits: fixing a vacancy-driven backlog in the lower federal courts that threatens the speedy and fair administration of justice. read full story

9/12/10 – Stop Sitting on Judges
The Senate Republican leadership should stop its delaying tactics on President Obama’s judicial nominees. read full story

9/10/10 – Obama on Judicial Nominees, Cobell and KSM
President Barack Obama today bemoaned the length of time that some of his nominees are waiting for votes in the U.S. Senate, raising the issue just as senators prepare to return to Washington. read full story

9/9/10 – Congress needs to stop stonewalling on federal court vacancies
THERE IS NEVER a shortage of finger pointing in Washington, so it comes as no surprise that partisans are blaming each other for the failure to fill vacancies on the federal bench. read full story

9/10/10 – Empty Chambers: Why the judicial vacancy crisis matters
Maybe it's a failure of language. Perhaps we've been referring to it as the "judicial-vacancy crisis" for so long that nobody believes it's a crisis anymore. Maybe we should upgrade it to a national judicial disaster or the global war on the judiciary. read full story

9/9/10 – Crisis on the Courts
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy recently noted the problems with the Senate's inability to confirm judicial nominees. "It's important for the public to understand that the excellence of the federal judiciary is at risk," Kennedy said. "If judicial excellence is cast upon a sea of congressional indifference, the rule of law is imperiled." read full story

9/7/10 – Obama getting fewer judges confirmed than Nixon
WASHINGTON — A determined Republican stall campaign in the Senate has sidetracked so many of the men and women nominated by President Barack Obama for judgeships that he has put fewer people on the bench than any president since Richard Nixon at a similar point in his first term 40 years ago. read full story

9/7/10 – Obama Left Largely Helpless As Judicial Vacancies Reach Crisis
The Obama administration is aware of the growing alarm over its inability to fill long-standing judicial vacancies. White House officials frequently voice displeasure with the pace, offer heated indictments of the GOP's stalling tactics, and occasionally threaten to circumvent the Congressional process. But for all the rhetoric, threats and critiques, even sympathetic observers acknowledge that the president is largely powerless (if not helpless) on the matter. read full story

9/6/10 – Federal court vacancies in Atlanta remain unfilled
The weeks and months continue to pass and the cases keep piling up at the federal courthouse in Atlanta, where four judicial vacancies remain unfilled. read full story

9/4/10 – Where are the judges?
There's finger-pointing by both sides, but the fact is that the failure to fill judicial vacancies hurts the administration of justice in the U.S. read full story

8/31/10 – DOJ Official Slams Republicans for Judicial Confirmation Pace
The Assistant Attorney General who heads the Justice Department office that helps the White House vet nominees for federal judgeships blamed Republicans for the low confirmation rate for the Barack Obama administration’s judicial picks, The Los Angeles Times reported. read full story

8/31/10 – Almost One in Eight U.S. Judgeships Vacant
A Los Angeles Times report documents that almost one out of eight federal judgeships is vacant across the country. read full story

8/31/10 – And As the World Turns, Senators Bicker Over Judicial Confirmations
Congress and President Obama could do at least this much to move the unemployment needle down ever so slightly: nominate or confirm 102 judges to the federal bench. read full story

8/30/10 – ABA President – The Economy, Judicial Vacancies Have Profound Impact on Access to Justice
Increases in the number of foreclosures, divorces and consumer disputes are putting a tremendous strain on state courts in these tough economic times, according to a survey conducted by the American Bar Association. read full story

8/30/10 – Legal logjam leaving judges’ seats empty in federal courts
The politicized confirmation process has left nearly 1 in 8 posts empty. Republicans say it's part payback, but they argue that Obama has been slow to nominate judges. read full story

8/30/10 – West Texas Federal Judges Flooded With Cases
Some new statistics KFOX has obtained said the federal court system in West Texas had more cases per judge than any other part of the Lone Star State. read full story

8/30/10 – Justice Kennedy Joins Call for New Judgeships for Eastern California Court
United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy has added his voice to the chorus of elected officials, bar and business leaders, and private citizens urging Congress to move swiftly to fill vacancies on the federal bench and to authorize additional judgeships for those courts struggling to contend with massive caseloads. read full story

8/24/10 – Stem cells, politics and the law
You may have read that yesterday, federal judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the Obama administration's policy regarding embryonic stem-cell research violated a law Congress passed in 1996. It's a big setback for stem-cell research in this country. read full story

8/12/10 – Federal judge plans to step down
U.S. District Judge William F. Downes will step down in July after 17 years on the federal bench in Wyoming, he said Wednesday. read full story

8/11/10 – Candidates for seat on Delaware federal court are revealed
The names of three prospective nominees for the remaining vacancy on the federal bench in Delaware have emerged:  Deputy Attorney General Richard G. Andrews, Widener Law School Dean Linda L. Ammons and attorney Collins J. Seitz Jr. read full story

8/10/10 – Ginsburg urges cooperation on judicial nominees
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lamented the partisan stalemate over judicial appointments Monday, telling a legal convention in San Francisco that the Senate should re-establish the cooperative spirit that attended her own confirmation 17 years ago. read full story

8/7/10 – Republicans block Bay Area judicial nominees
Senate Republicans have blocked votes on two Bay Area judicial nominees, Goodwin Liu and Edward Chen, and returned the nominations to President Obama, who must decide whether to resubmit them when Congress returns from recess next month. read full story

8/6/10 – Nashville lawyer finally headed toward judicial confirmation
Nashville attorney Jane Stranch is finally headed toward confirmation as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit-- a year after she was nominated by President Barack Obama. read full story

8/6/10 – Wynn confirmed to U.S. Court of Appeals
Judge Jim Wynn's 11-year wait for a seat on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals is over.  Wynn, a jurist on the N.C. Court of Appeals who lives in Raleigh, was unanimously confirmed Thursday for the federal bench by the U.S. Senate, more than a decade after his nomination by former President Bill Clinton. read full story

8/6/10 – Delaware courts: Stark confirmed to district court
The long vacant chair on the U.S. District Court in Delaware has finally been filled.  Several hours after approving the nomination of Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Senate confirmed Leonard P. Stark as a district court judge, along with several other judicial nominees, according to Delaware's two U.S. Senators. read full story

8/6/10 – Senate confirms Kagan to U.S. Supreme Court
The Senate confirmed Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court Thursday on a mostly partisan vote that kept intact a pattern that increasingly defines nominations to the nation's highest court. read full story

8/4/10 – Obama, McConnell talk about judges
President Obama and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had their first one-on-one meeting today, and it dealt primarily with one topic:  Confirming judges. read full story

8/3/10 – Senate moves slowly in confirming Obama’s lower-court judicial nominees
President Obama, on the verge of winning confirmation of his second Supreme Court appointment in two years, is having limited success shaping the lower federal courts that handle thousands more cases. read full story

8/2/10 – Colorado’s chief federal judge says vacancies on the bench are impeding judicial process
Chief U.S. District Judge Wiley Y. Daniel has asked the U.S. Senate to expedite a vote on filling a Colorado federal court vacancy, saying a shortage of judges is impeding the public's access to justice. read full story

8/2/10 – Pace on Obama’s Judicial Confirmations Continues to Plod
President Obama won with Justice Sotomayor.  He's likely to get another win this week, when the Senate votes on his nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court.  But leave the lofty perch of the Supreme Court for the lower federal courts, and you'll see a much more mixed record for the prez. read full story

8/1/10 – Senate stalling on judges is like an old family feud
Judge James Wynn of North Carolina, President Obama's nominee for the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, looked to be a safe bet for an easy Senate confirmation.  He is a former Navy lawyer and a well-regarded state appellate judge with a moderate record and a "well-qualified" rating from the American Bar Assn.  Then again, the same could have been said of Wynn in 1999 when President Clinton nominated him to the 4th Circuit.  He was blocked then by Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, who blocked all of President Clinton's 4th North Carolina nominees. read full story

7/30/10 – Delaware courts: Senators appeal for vote on Stark
Delaware's senators pleaded with their colleagues on Thursday to confirm judicial nominee Leonard Stark before a second U.S. District Court vacancy in Delaware becomes effective today. read full story

7/30/10 – GOP accused of dragging out McConnell confirmation
Senate Democrats were rebuffed by the GOP Thursday in a bid for consideration of a group of President Obama's judicial choices, including John J. McConnell Jr., his controversial nominee to the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island. read full story

7/29/10 – Fed Circuit Nominee O’Malley, Two Others Sail Through Confirmation Hearings
Three judicial nominees to federal courts in Washington faced little opposition when they appeared for their confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.  Mostly, they met with friendly questions from a few Democratic senators. read full story

7/29/10 – Colorado senators press for vote on judge nominee
U.S. Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado spoke on the Senate floor Thursday as part of a push by both the state's senators for a vote on confirming Denver attorney William Martinez as a Denver-based federal judge. read full story

7/29/10 – Butler confirmation vote delayed again
Senate Republicans today objected to a floor debate and vote on the confirmation of former state Supreme Court Justice Louis J. Butler Jr. to be the federal judge for the western district of Wisconsin, delaying further action on the nomination for now. read full story

7/28/10 – Obama names Laredo lawyer to federal judge post
President Barack Obama on Wednesday nominated Laredo lawyer Marina Garcia Marmolejo to be a federal judge in the U.S. Southern Judicial District of Texas. read full story

7/28/10 – Minnick: Idaho needs 3rd federal judge
Idaho needs a third federal district judge, according to Congressman Walt Minnick, who notes that the state hadn't gotten an additional judgeship in 56 years. read full story

7/27/10 – Obama Pushes Confirmation of Judges
President Barack Obama called on the Senate today to vote on long-stalled nominees for the federal judiciary-- dipping a toe into an issue that has appeared relatively low among his priorities. read full story

7/27/10 – 3 named finalists in search for federal judge candidate
Two Toledo lawyers and a Michigan federal bankruptcy judge have been chosen as the three finalists in the search for a candidate to replace U.S. District Court Judge James Carr, who recently assumed senior status. read full story

7/26/10 – New Names Emerge for 9th Circuit Seats
A lawyer under serious consideration for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals would, if picked, become the only American Indian currently in the federal judiciary and the first ever to serve on an appellate court, according to sources familiar with the search process. read full story

7/22/10 – Grassley: Kagan vote signals change
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday that his vote against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan signals that he and other Republican senators will no longer defer to a Democratic president's court nominees.  Grassley said he was following a precedent set by Senate Democrats who tried to derail judicial confirmations during President George W. Bush's first term.  He also said he would maintain a more partisan profile toward judicial nominees as the Republican leader of the Senate Judiciary Committee if he is re-elected in November. read full story

7/21/10 – Confirmation Delays Wreak Havoc on Civil Litigation
Attorney Jeffrey K. Martin used to boast to clients that if they filed their lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, they should expect to go to trial in a year, but now he's embarassed to tell them they may have to wait more than two or three years. read full story

7/20/10 – Obama’s Judicial Picks Languish in Senate
While Elena Kagan could serve on the Supreme Court for decades, there are about 100 vacancies for lower court judges who will similarly serve lifetime appointments.  That's roughly one-eighth of the federal judiciary, and the lower court judges that President Obama appoints will collectively have a far greater impact on Americans than any single Supreme Court justice. read full story

7/20/10 – Effort to win approval of Stranch appointment fails
The nomination of Nashville attorney Jane Stranch to be a judge on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals remains in limbo after an effort to push it through the Senate on Tuesday failed. read full story

7/20/10 – Senate Judiciary Committee clears way for Elena Kagan
Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday on a 13-6 vote, with only Lindsey Graham (R-SC) crossing party lines to vote in favor of the nominee. read full story

7/17/10 – County Judge nominated to federal bench– again
Washington County Circuit Judge Marco Hernandez is getting a unique chance at the job of a lifetime.  Hernandez was nominated by President Obama for a judgeship on the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, a lifetime appointment to the federal bench.  The nomination is unique in that it's Hernandez' second time being put forth as a potential federal judge.  In the waning months of the presidency of George W. Bush, Hernandez was nominated, but he was not confirmed before Bush's term ended. read full story

7/16/10 – Sources: Obama Administration Vetting N.Y. Lawyer for D.C. Circuit
Caitlin Halligan, a top lawyer in the Manhattan district attorney's office, may be headed to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. read full story

7/16/10 – Questions now asked of judicial nominee
Now that President Obama has nominated him to a federal judgeship, Jones needs to fill out a lengthy questionnaire prior to facing members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for confirmation, said Erica Chabot, the committee's press secretary. read full story

7/16/10 – Miss. Court Nominee Praised, Challenged
A Republican senator challenged judicial nominee Carlton Reeves' temperament at his confirmation hearing Thursday, but other lawmakers praised Reeves as even-handed and qualified. read full story

7/15/10 – N.C. Judges Diaz and Wynn play Senate confirmation waiting game
Nearly six months have gone by since Judges Albert Diaz of Charlotte and James Wynn of Raleigh landed on the to-do list of the full U.S. Senate, and still they have not received confirmation votes. read full story

7/14/10 – President Obama appoints first federal judge in Texas
President Barack Obama has appointed his first federal judge in Texas, naming a Laredo federal magistrate Wednesday to one of four trial court vacancies in the state. read full story

7/14/10 – Four Former Prosecutors Nominated to Federal Bench
President Barack Obama nominated four former federal prosecutors to positions on the federal bench on Wednesday. read full story

7/12/10 – Senate endorses Illinois appellate judge to federal district court
The U.S. Senate late today endorsed President Obama's second choice to the Chicago-based federal district court, voting 86-0 to confirm Illinois appellate judge Sharon Johnson Coleman. read full story

7/8/10 – Sources: Nealon, Minora, Mariani to be submitted for nomination to the federal bench
The names of two Lackawanna County judges and a well-known local labor lawyer are being submitted to the White House for nomination to three openings on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, sources said Wednesday. read full story

7/7/10 – More Senators Rely on Committees to Screen Future Judges
An increasing number of U.S. Senators are setting up committees in their home states to evaluate potential federal judges, yet little is known about how those panels operate, according to a new report. read full story

7/6/10 – Delays bog down U.S. Court
If the U.S. Senate fails to act this month on filling a vacancy on the U.S. District Court in Delaware, the court will be down to just two judges-- a 50 percent reduction-- while going into the busy fall court season. read full story

6/28/10 – Chicago lawyer confirmed for federal judge
The U.S. Senate voted 80-0 late today to confirm Chicago lawyer Gary Feinerman for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. read full story

6/25/10 – Schumer backs Westchester lawyer Vincent Briccetti for federal judge
A prominent Westchester lawyer has been recommended to fill a seat on the federal bench in White Plains. Vincent Briccetti, 55, of South Salem was tapped for the post by Sen. Charles Schumer, who named Briccetti and two others for three openings for federal judges in the Northern and Southern Districts of New York. read full story

6/24/10 – Sen. Schumer recommends first female judge for Northern District of New York
Mae D'Agostino, one of the most well-regarded attorneys-- and successful courtroom practitioners-- in the Capital Region, was recommended today by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer for a federal court judgeship. read full story

6/23/10 – You Really Got A Hold On Me
The "hold" is an informal Senate custom that allows any lawmaker to delay action on any bill or nomination at any time for any reason. It is essentially a threatened filibuster. And it is usually anonymous — senators allow their colleagues to place secret holds as a tradition and courtesy. The majority leader can try to move ahead despite a hold, but doing so can mean days of lost time on procedural votes and debate. A president can overcome holds on nominations by making short-term appointments while Congress is away on recess. President Obama made 17 such appointments in March. But as of June 23, there were holds on 69 executive and judicial nominees, all but a handful anonymous. Democrats say they have placed no secret holds. read full story

6/22/10 – McCaskill adds insurance on bid to end secret holds
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) picked up insurance on her push to end secret holds in the Senate after another GOP colleague signed onto her effort. read full story

6/22/10 – Nomination delaying tactic irks Senators
It seemed the most unremarkable of votes. By a tally of 90 to 0, the US Senate recently approved President Obama’s nomination of a Missouri magistrate judge, Audrey Fleissig, to the federal district bench. read full story

6/21/10 – Obama slowly puts his mark on federal courts
Democrats control the White House and have the largest congressional majorities enjoyed by a chief executive in decades. But President Barack Obama isn't off to a brisk pace when it comes to putting his imprint on the third branch of government — the federal courts — and some of his allies are disappointed, particularly with the prospect of a slimmed-down Senate majority after the midterm elections. read full story

6/21/10 – Can Senate end secret holds?
Armed with nearly two-thirds of senators backing her, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) will make her case for ending anonymous 'holds' before the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday. read full story

6/21/10 – Senate sends O.C. judge to federal bench
The Senate on Monday voted unanimously to confirm Orange County Superior Court Judge Josephine Tucker as a member of the federal District Court for the Central District of California. Tucker, who will preside at the courthouse in Santa Ana, has served as a state court judge since 2002 and has handled criminal, family and civil law matters while on the bench in Orange County. read full story

6/21/10 – Senate confirms Macon lawyer to be federal judge
The U.S. Senate has confirmed a Macon attorney to fill a vacancy on Middle Georgia’s federal bench. Marc T. Treadwell, 54, was confirmed in a vote just before 7 p.m. Monday with the affirmative vote of 89 senators and no opposition. read full story

6/21/10 – US Senate confirms Goldsmith for Detroit judgeship
The U.S. Senate has unanimously confirmed Oakland County Circuit Judge Mark A. Goldsmith for a judgeship in Detroit U.S. District Court. The Senate voted 89-0 Monday to confirm President Barack Obama's nominee. read full story

6/20/10 – Senators expect to pass proposal to end anonymous “holds” on nominations
Sen. Claire McCaskill said Saturday that she has enough votes to end the Senate's long-standing and much-criticized practice of allowing the use of anonymous holds to block nominations. read full story

6/18/10 – Senator Franken Discusses Judicial Nominations at 2010 ACS National Convention
Helping to kick off the 2010 ACS National Convention, Sen. Al Franken criticized Republican efforts to scuttle the Obama administration's nominations to the federal courts and numerous administration positions. read full story

6/18/10 – Obama taps 2 for U.S. Dist. Court
President Barack Obama named two nominees to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, selections that require Senate confirmation. read full story

6/18/10 – Senate panel backs nominee
On close to a party-line vote, a key Senate panel voted Thursday to recommend that John J. McConnell Jr. be seated on the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island -- but not without sharp criticism from Republicans, who could raise obstacles to a swift Senate vote to confirm the nomination of the nationally known plaintiffs' lawyer. read full story

6/17/10 – Obama nominates Myerscough for federal judgeship
President Barack Obama Thursday nominated Illinois Appellate Justice Sue Myerscough to become a federal district judge based in Springfield. read full story

6/17/10 – Bid to end senators’ ’secret holds’ advances
In the Senate, every man or woman can be king. Each can hold up a billion-dollar spending bill on a whim, or block one of the president's nominees from ever getting a hearing. read full story

6/16/10 – Senate Confirms Louisiana Judicial Nominees Jackson, Foote
Behind the push of United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., the Senate late last night confirmed Louisiana judicial nominees Brian Jackson and Elizabeth Erny Foote, who were unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 18. read full story

6/16/10 – New Hoosier federal judge robed in history
Judge Tanya Walton Pratt's historic confirmation as a federal judge Tuesday by the U.S. Senate will usher in changes at the federal and Marion County courthouses. read full story

6/16/10 – Obama’s push for court diversity hits snag
President Obama came into office determined to stop the rightward shift of the federal courts — after eight years of appointments by President Bush — and to add more diversity to the bench. read full story

6/15/10 – Controversy must be the reason it took so long to confirm three district judges
First, we have Tanya Platt. She fills a fairly recent opening, from November 19, 2009. She was nominated this year, on January 20. She was confirmed today, after five months. The vote? 95-0. read full story

6/11/10 – Miss. Justice tapped for court: James Graves nominated by Obama for appellate post
James Graves Jr., the presiding justice on the state Supreme Court, may be on his way to serving on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.  President Barack Obama on Thursday nominated Graves to serve on the New Orleans-based court. read full story

6/10/10 – Chatigny Clears Senate Committee
Senate opponents of District Judge Robert N. Chatigny's nomination to the federal appeals court continued to criticize him as overbearing and lenient toward sex offenders Thursday, but after more than an hour of debate the judiciary committee moved him a step closer to confirmation on a party line vote. read full story

6/10/10 – Update: McConnell judgeship vote delayed a week
The Senate Judiciary Committee has postponed its debate on President Obama's nomination of John J. "Jack" McConnell Jr. to the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, in part to allow Republicans more time to address their concerns about whether he should be made a federal judge. read full story

6/9/10 – Alito: The Chamber of Commerce’s Supreme Court Ringer?
Was the Citizens United case, in which the Supreme Court voted to allow unlimited corporate spending on elections, just an aberration? Or is the Roberts court really as pro-business as critics allege? Well, the Constitutional Accountability Center decided to test that thesis by examining the justices' voting records in cases where the U.S Chamber of Commerce was a party or filed an amicus brief. On Wednesday, it released the results of its empirical study. As it turns out, the five-justice conservative majority ruled in the chamber's favor in 64 percent of the cases, and even more often--71 percent--in the closely divided cases, which included Citizens United and the Lilly Ledbetter case involving gender discrimination. read full story

6/7/10 – U.S. Senate confirms Indiana judicial nominee
A few minutes ago, the U.S. Senate by voice vote confirmed President Barack Obama's nomination of Jane Magnus-Stinson to be a judge at U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, based in Indianapolis. Magnus-Stinson, a former Marion Superior Court judge and legal counsel to then-Gov. Evan Bayh, is a federal court magistrate working with the appointed judges. She is taking the judgeship vacated by Judge Larry J. McKinney, who has moved to senior status. read full story

6/7/10 – Senate Confirms Two Ex-Prosecutors For Judgeships
The Senate confirmed two former Justice Department prosecutors on Monday for federal judgeships. read full story

6/7/10 – Snowe, Collins, Oppose Secret “Holds” on Nominations
Maine Public Broadcasting Network: They are called "holds" -- the power every U.S. senator has to stop any piece of legislation, or presidential appointment, at any time. The process can be shrouded in secrecy, with everyone wondering which senator objects. Maine's two U.S. senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, say they oppose such secret holds. read full story

6/7/10 – Obama boosts judicial diversity
President Barack Obama is not only breaking barriers in his appointments to the highest court in the land, he’s quickly reshaping the lower ranks of the federal judiciary, nominating an unprecedented number of minorities and women. read full story

5/28/10 – Why Jane Branstetter Stranch Should Be Quickly Confirmed to a Seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
When Barack Obama assumed the presidency in January 2009, the United States Courts of Appeals had openings in a full fourteen of their 179 judgeships. Accordingly, it was imperative for the nascent administration promptly to fill those vacancies. read full story

2/10/10 – Judiciary to query Las Vegas lawyer
Las Vegas attorney Gloria Navarro is one of six nominees scheduled to appear today before the Senate Judiciary Committee. read full story