Judicial Nominations Update

This Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will be holding a hearing for two of President Trump’s nominees to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Jay Richardsonand Marvin Quattlebaum. Last Thursday, the Committee advanced two of the President’s district court nominees to the Senate Floor, bringing the total number of judicial nominees awaiting confirmation votes from the full Senate to 45. Recently, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he was canceling the Senate’s August recess, in part “to make additional progress on the president’s nominees.” In light of the ever-increasing number of nominees awaiting confirmation votes, I applaud Leader McConnell’s decision.

Here is this week’s update on federal judicial nominations, which includes the most recent wave of announced nominees:

Current and known future vacancies: 177

Courts of Appeals: 22

District/Specialty Courts*: 155

Pending nominees for current and known future vacancies: 94

Courts of Appeals: 13

District/Specialty Courts: 81

* Includes the Court of Federal Claims and the International Trade Court

Court of Appeals Nominees Awaiting Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings

Nominee (Circuit) Nomination Date Days Pending Both Blue Slips Returned? Judiciary Committee Hearing Date Paul Matey (3rd) 4/12/2018 67 No Not yet scheduled Richard Sullivan (2nd) 5/7/2018 42 No Not yet scheduled Jay Richardson (4th) 5/7/2018 42 Yes 6/20/2018 Marvin Quattlebaum (4th) 5/7/2018 42 Yes 6/20/2018 Ryan Nelson (9th) 5/15/2018 34 Yes Not yet scheduled Jonathan Kobes (8th) 6/11/2018 7 Yes Not yet scheduled Eric Murphy (6th) Pending** N/A N/A Not yet scheduled Chad Readler (6th) Pending** N/A N/A Not yet scheduled

**Nomination currently pending receipt in the Senate, which will trigger official nomination date.

Court of Appeals Nominees Awaiting Senate Judiciary Committee Votes

Nominee (Circuit) Nomination Date Days Pending Judiciary Committee Hearing Date Britt Grant (11th) 4/12/2018 67 5/23/2018 David Porter (3rd) 4/12/2018 67 6/6/2018

Court of Appeals Nominees Awaiting Senate Floor Votes

Nominee (Circuit) Nomination Date Days Pending Date Reported to Senate Floor Mark Bennett (9th) 2/15/2018 123 5/10/2018 Andrew Oldham (5th) 2/15/2018 123 5/24/2018 Ryan Bounds (9th) 9/7/2017 284 6/7/2018