Category: Judicial Nominations

On The Bench: Week of August 1, 2024

Posted on by Maude Carroll

The Senate made encouraging progress on judicial nominations this week. As of this writing, the Senate has confirmed three Article III nominees: Stacey Neumann (D. Me.), Magistrate Judge Joseph Saporito Jr. (M.D. Pa.), and Judge Meredith Vacca (W.D.N.Y.). Judge Vacca becomes the first woman of color to ever serve as a judge on the Western District of New York. Also with these confirmations, the Biden-Harris Administration stays ahead of their predecessor in terms of pace of judicial confirmations at least through August of the fourth year.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for five Article III nominees: Ryan Park (4th Cir.), April Perry (N.D. Ill.), Byron Conway (E.D. Wis.), Magistrate Judge Jonathan Hawley (C.D. Ill.), and Judge Gail Weilheimer. These nominees are now eligible for a committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee also held an executive business meeting where it successfully advanced seven Article III nominees to the floor: Karla Campbell (6th Cir.), Justice Julia Lipez (1st Cir.), Catherine Henry (E.D. Pa.), Mary Kay Lanthier (D. Vt.), Mary Kay Costello (E.D. Pa.), Laura Margarete Provinzino (D. Minn.), and Judge Noël Wise (N.D. Cal.). These nominees now join the backlog of nominees on the Senate floor.

Also this week, the White House announced the latest slate of judicial nominees. The slate contained three Article III nominees: Judge Anthony Brindisi (N.D.N.Y.), Tiffany Johnson (N.D. Ga.), and Keli Neary (M.D. Pa.).

As of August 1, there are 70 Article III vacancies, 46 of which are current. Once the latest nominees are officially nominated, there will be 33 pending nominees: 21 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 6 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 205 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

On The Bench: Week of July 11, 2024

Posted on by Maude Carroll

The Senate returned from recess this week and made limited progress on judicial confirmations. As of this writing, the Senate confirmed one Article III nominee this week: Judge Nancy Maldonado (7th Cir.). Judge Maldonado becomes the first Hispanic person to ever serve as a judge on the Seventh Circuit.

Despite limited progress on the Senate floor, the Senate Judiciary Committee continues to process judicial nominations. On Wednesday, the Committee held a hearing for three Article III nominees: Mary Kay Costello (E.D. Pa.), Laura Margarete Provinzino (D. Minn.), and Judge Noël Wise (N.D. Cal.). These nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote.

On Thursday, the Committee held an executive business meeting where it successfully advanced eight Article III nominees to the Senate floor: Judge Michelle Williams Court (C.D. Cal.), Judge Anne Hwang (C.D. Cal.), Stacey Neumann (D. Me.), Judge Cynthia Valenzuela (C.D. Cal.), Magistrate Judge Embry Kidd (11th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Adam Abelson (D. Md.), Magistrate Judge Joseph Saporito Jr. (M.D. Pa.), and Judge Meredith Vacca (W.D.N.Y.). All these nominees are now eligible for cloture and confirmation votes.

Since the last On the Bench, the White House released the newest slate of Article III nominees. The slate had four nominees: Ryan Park (4th Cir.), Byron Conway (E.D. Wis.), Magistrate Judge Jonathan Hawley (C.D. Ill.), and Judge Gail Weilheimer.

As of July 11, there are 72 Article III vacancies, 48 of which are current. Once the latest nominees are officially nominated, there will be 33 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 8 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 202 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

On The Bench: Week of June 20, 2024

Posted on by Maude Carroll

In part due to the truncated work week, the Senate made limited progress on judicial confirmations this week. As of this writing, the Senate was able to invoke cloture on Judge Nancy Maldonado (7th Cir.) but has not confirmed any Article III judges. Earlier in the week, the Senate was scheduled to vote on Magistrate Judge Mustafa Kasubhai (D. Or.), but due to attendance issues the cloture vote was pulled. That vote will now have to occur at a later date.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for 4 Article III nominees: Karla Campbell (6th Cir.), Justice Julia Lipez (1st Cir.), Catherine Henry (E.D. Pa.), and Mary Kay Lanthier (D. Vt.). These nominees are no eligible for a committee vote.

As of June 20, there are 71 Article III vacancies, 45 of which are current. Once the latest nominees are officially nominated, there will be 30 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 13 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 7 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 201 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

On The Bench: Week of June 13, 2024

Posted on by Maude Carroll

The Senate made no progress on judicial confirmations this week. As of this writing, there have been no cloture motions filed on any Article III nominees.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting where due to attendance issues they were unable to vote on any Article III nominees.

Also this week, the White House announced the newest slate of judicial nominations. The slate consisted of 3 Article III nominees: Mary Kay Costello (E.D. Pa.), Laura Margarete Provinzino (D. Minn.), and Judge Noël Wise.

As of June 13, there are 71 Article III vacancies, 45 of which are current. Once the latest nominees are officially nominated, there will be 30 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 11 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 201 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

In other judiciary news, the Senate Judiciary Committee in a bipartisan vote advanced the JUDGES Act of 2024. The legislation seeks to add 66 permanent district court judgeships in several states across the country. The new judgeships would be added over a period of 12 years.

On The Bench: Week of June 6, 2024

Posted on by Clarify

The Senate made no progress on judicial confirmations this week. The Senate is now scheduled to be out until the evening of June 11. At this time, there have been no cloture motions filed on any Article III nominees.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for 4 Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Embry Kidd (11th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Adam Abelson (D. Md.), Magistrate Judge Joseph Saporito Jr. (M.D. Pa.), and Judge Meredith Vacca (W.D.N.Y.). The nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote. If confirmed, Judge Vacca would be the first ever person of color to serve as a federal judge on the Western District of New York.

As of June 6, there are 69 Article III vacancies, 45 of which are current. Once the latest nominees are officially nominated, there will be 27 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 201 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

On The Bench: Week of May 30, 2024

Posted on by Clarify

The Senate made no progress on judicial nominations this week as they were on recess for the Memorial Day holiday. Before the break Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on a few judicial nominees for local Washington D.C. courts, but he did not file cloture on any Article III nominees.

Next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Wednesday. Nominees for the hearing are not yet listed, but it is likely that the hearing will feature some of the recently announced judicial nominees.

As of May 30, there are 68 Article III vacancies, 43 of which are current. Once the latest nominees are officially nominated, there will be 27 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 5 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 12 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 201 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.