Category: Judicial Nominations

This week the Senate confirmed 1 Article III nominee: Byron Conway (E.D. Wis.).

With this confirmation, the Biden-Harris Administration is at 213 Article III confirmations. On this date during the Trump Administration, there were 218 confirmations. The current administration is now only 21 short of matching the previous administration’s four-year total.

Before leaving for recess, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on 2 Article III nominees: April Perry (N.D. Ill.) and Jonathan Hawley (C.D. Ill.). The confirmation vote on April Perry is scheduled for when the Senate returns on Tuesday, November 12^th.

As of September 26, there are 64 Article III vacancies, 42 of which are current. There are now 28 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 8 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 3 waiting for hearings before the Committee.

The Senate returned from the August recess this week and made encouraging progress on judicial confirmations. This week the Senate confirmed 4 Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Adam Abelson (D. Md.), Jeannette Vargas (S.D.N.Y.) Mary Kay Lanthier (D. Vt.), and Laura Margarete Provinzino (D. Minn.). The Senate also invoked cloture on Kevin Ritz (6th Cir.), setting up a potential confirmation vote for early next week.

With these confirmations, the Biden-Harris Administration is at 209 Article III confirmations. This is now only 25 short of matching the previous administration’s four-year total.

As of September 12, there are 66 Article III vacancies, 44 of which are current. There are now 32 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 6 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 9 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 209 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.

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.

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.