Judicial Nomination News

Justice at Stake and 28 other national organizations called on Monday for prompt Senate votes on judicial nominations. They said political leaders must end a chronic gridlock that is thwarting the delivery of justice. See Gavel Grab for details.

After a filibuster was cut off, the Senate voted 94-5 to confirm Judge Adalberto Jordan to the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, making him the first Cuban-American to sit on the bench. Read more in Gavel Grab.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) vowed to block all of President Obama’s judicial and executive branch nominees, in his anger over Obama's winter recess appointments. Read Gavel Grab for more. 

President Obama urged the Senate in his State of the Union address to adopt a rule to expedite the confirmation process for judicial and public service nominees. For details, see Gavel Grab. 

A Republican filibuster of nominee Caitlin Halligan for a federal appeals court judgeship triggered a scorching Washington Post editorial and concern that partisan wars over judicial nominations are back. See Gavel Grab for details.

Senate Republicans filibustered judicial nominee Caitlin Halligan Tuesday, blocking an up-or-down vote on her nomination to a federal appeals court and reigniting a fierce debate over judicial nominations. See Gavel Grab for more. 

Exploding numbers of criminal cases and vacancies on the federal bench are crowding civil trails off dockets, and some litigants are settling their lawsuits instead of waiting longer. For more, see Gavel Grab. 

Two experts, Malia Reddick and Russell Wheeler, update readers about committees used in 21 states and D.C. to screen and recommend candidates for district court judgeships, and their impact. See Gavel Grab for more. 

President Obama is the first White House occupant in history who hasn’t picked a majority of white male judges for lifetime appointments on the federal bench. For more, see Gavel Grab. 

Janet Levit is a Yale graduate and dean of the University of Tulsa law school, but it was Sen. Tom Coburn’s concern about her background in international law that blocked her nomination to a federal appeals court. See Gavel Grab for details.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has criticized the mounting partisanship in the judicial selection process, suggesting she would not have been confirmed if she were nominated today. Find out more from Gavel Grab.

Arizona’s two Republican senators are holding up a judicial nomination at a moment the state’s judicial system “is under incredible strain due to a lack of judges,” a Fox News report says. See Gavel Grab for details.

The White House has joined in criticizing the Senate for failing to vote on 20 pending judicial nominees before packing bags for an August recess. See Gavel Grab for more.

The Republican obstruction of President Obama’s judicial nominees could reshape the federal courts for a generation.

President Obama  made history when he nominated Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court. He did it again with his second nominee, Elena Kagan, raising the number of women on the nation’s highest court to three.

When it comes to this White House and judges, there's a string of firsts. The first Hispanic on the Supreme Court. The first openly gay man on a federal district court. And the first women nominees who are Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie assailed as “crazies” some legislators who targeted Sohail Mohammed, Christie’s nominee for a Superior Court seat. See Gavel Grab for more.

The Senate left town yesterday, heading into recess several days ahead of schedule. In its final hour, the Senate confirmed by unanimous consent four of the 24 judicial nominees that were ready for a Senate vote, and scheduled a vote on a fifth nominee for September.

Following the House, the Senate will hold a series of “pro forma” sessions over the next month, effectively blocking President Barack Obama from making any appointments during Congress’ August recess.

Move aside Goodwin Liu, there’s another judicial nominee who is grabbing the spotlight.

Legal scholar Goodwin Liu, whose nomination to a federal appeals court drew a GOP filibuster, was nominated today to sit on the California Supreme Court. For more, see Gavel Grab.

Attorney Robert D. Mariani is a big step closer to becoming a federal judge.

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.

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.
 

When President Barack Obama secured election, the U.S. Courts of Appeals experienced openings in 14 of the 179 judgeships. Accordingly, it was essential that the White House expeditiously fill those vacancies.