Today, the President announced his intent to renominate 21 individuals who were nominated to be Federal judges last year. This list includes nominees from the states of Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin—states that are suffering from judicial emergencies. The President looks forward to the swift confirmation of these nominees.
If confirmed, Elizabeth L. “Lisa” Branch of Georgia will serve as a Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Judge Lisa Branch serves on the Georgia Court of Appeals, where she has served since her appointment by the governor in 2012. Prior to ascending to the bench, Judge Branch was a partner in the commercial litigation practice group at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP in Atlanta, where she began her legal career in 1996. From 2004-2008, Judge Branch served as a senior official in the Administration of President George W. Bush. During this period, she served for three years as the Counselor to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the U. S. Office of Management and Budget, and for one year as the Associate General Counsel for Rules and Legislation at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Upon graduation from law school, Judge Branch served for two years as a law clerk to Judge J. Owen Forrester of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Judge Branch earned her B.A. from Davidson College, cum laude, and her J.D., with distinction, from the Emory University School of Law, where she was inducted into the Order of the Coif and served as the notes and comments editor of the Emory Law Journal.
If confirmed, Michael B. Brennan of Wisconsin will serve as a Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Mike Brennan currently serves as a partner in the Milwaukee law firm Gass Weber Mullins LLC, where he tries cases and handles appeals in Federal and state courts involving commercial and tort disputes, and he serves as a mediator and an arbitrator. Before that, Mr. Brennan served for nine years as a judge on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, where he presided over hundreds of trials and motions in criminal and civil cases. During that time, he served as the presiding judge of the civil division of that court. Before his service on the bench, Mr. Brennan prosecuted cases as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County where he first-chaired numerous trials, and spent four years as a litigation associate in the Milwaukee office of Foley & Lardner LLP. Mr. Brennan served as a law clerk to Judge Daniel A. Manion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and as a law clerk to Chief Judge Robert W. Warren of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Mr. Brennan received his B.A. in government and philosophy, cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame, and his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, where he served as the coordinating note and comment editor of the Northwestern University Law Review and he won the Julius H. Miner Moot Court Competition.
If confirmed, Ryan Wesley Bounds of Oregon will serve as a Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Ryan Bounds serves as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, where he prosecutes criminal cases on behalf of the United States. Previously, he was a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Before becoming a Federal prosecutor, Mr. Bounds served as Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, acting as the White House’s primary policy expert on criminal and civil justice issues. He also served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Chief of Staff in the Office of Legal Policy at the United States Department of Justice. Earlier in his career, Mr. Bounds practiced commercial law for Stoel Rives LLP in Portland, Oregon. Mr. Bounds served as a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He earned his B.A. in psychology and political science, with Honors and Distinction, from Stanford University and his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an editor on the Yale Law Journal and Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law & Policy Review.
If confirmed, Stuart Kyle Duncan of Louisiana will serve as a Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Kyle Duncan is currently a partner at Schaerr Duncan LLP, where he represents clients in trial and appellate litigation. Before joining the firm, Mr. Duncan served for two years as general counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where he managed Becket’s nationwide public-interest litigation. Mr. Duncan previously served for three years as the Solicitor General and Appellate Chief of the Louisiana Department of Justice, where he represented Louisiana in a wide range of appellate matters in State and Federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. Before that, Mr. Duncan spent four years as an assistant professor of law at the University of Mississippi Law School. Mr. Duncan also spent two years as an associate-in-law at Columbia University Law School, three years as an Assistant Solicitor General in the Office of the Solicitor General in the Texas Attorney General’s Office, and one year in the appellate practice group at Vinson & Elkins LLP. After graduating from law school, Mr. Duncan clerked for Louisiana-based Circuit Judge John M. Duhé, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Mr. Duncan has argued two cases in the United States Supreme Court, and has acted as lead counsel in numerous other cases in that Court, including Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., 134 S.Ct. 2751 (2014), in which he successfully led litigation challenging the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate on behalf of Hobby Lobby Stores. Mr. Duncan earned his B.A., summa cum laude, from Louisiana State University and his J.D. from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and served as executive senior editor of the Louisiana Law Review. Mr. Duncan subsequently earned an LL.M. from Columbia University Law School.
If confirmed, Kurt D. Engelhardt of Louisiana will serve as a Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Judge Kurt Engelhardt currently serves as the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. He was nominated to the bench by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2001. During his tenure on the bench, Judge Engelhardt has served on the Judicial Conference Committee of Federal-State Jurisdiction, first appointed to that Committee by Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2004, and re-appointed for a second term by Chief Justice John Roberts in 2007. He also served as President of the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association from 2011 to 2012. Before his appointment to the district court, Judge Engelhardt practiced commercial litigation in private practice—first at the law firm of Little & Metzger and later at Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale LLP. While in private practice, he was appointed by the governor to serve on the Louisiana Judiciary Commission, which adjudicates statewide ethics complaints against judges. In 1998, the members of the Commission elected him to serve as its Chairman. Upon graduation from law school, Judge Engelhardt served as a law clerk to Judge Charles Grisbaum, Jr., on the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal. He earned his B.A. and J.D. from Louisiana State University.
If confirmed, David R. Stras will serve as a Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Justice David Stras currently serves as a Justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court. Justice Stras was appointed to the Court in 2010. Before his appointment to the Minnesota Supreme Court, Justice Stras was a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, while also serving as counsel at the Minneapolis law firm of Faegre & Benson. Earlier in his career, Justice Stras clerked for Associate Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge J. Michael Luttig of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and for Judge Melvin Brunetti of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Justice Stras received his B.A. with highest distinction from the University of Kansas, his M.B.A. from the University of Kansas, and his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Criminal Procedure Edition of the Kansas Law Review.
If confirmed, Barry W. Ashe of Louisiana will serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Barry Ashe is a partner in the New Orleans office of Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann L.L.C., where his practice spans a broad range of complex civil and commercial law matters, in both State and Federal courts, at trial and on appeal. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Ashe served as a law clerk to Judge Carolyn Dineen King on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Prior to enrolling in law school, Mr. Ashe served for three years in the U.S. Navy, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant and received an honorable discharge. Mr. Ashe earned his B.A. from Tulane University, summa cum laude, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa, and his J.D. from Tulane Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude, was inducted into the Order of the Coif, and served as the senior managing editor of the Tulane Law Review.
If confirmed, Annemarie Carney Axon of Alabama will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Annemarie Axon is a member of the Birmingham law firm of Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff, & Brandt, LLC, where she litigates trust, estate, and business cases in both trial and appellate courts. Before joining the firm, Mrs. Axon served as Assistant Vice President of AmSouth Bank and as an associate at the law firm of Edwards and Angell, LLP in Providence, Rhode Island. Immediately upon graduation from law school, Mrs. Axon served as a law clerk to Judge Inge P. Johnson of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Mrs. Axon received her B.A. from the University of Alabama and J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law.
If confirmed, Liles C. Burke of Alabama will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Judge Liles Burke serves as an Associate Judge on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Prior to his elevation to the Court of Appeals, Judge Burke served as a Marshall County District Judge, as Acting Circuit Judge, and as a City of Arab Municipal Judge. Prior to ascending to the bench, Judge Burke practiced at the law firm of Burke & Beuoy, P.C., where he represented businesses and individuals in general practice, including domestic, criminal, civil litigation, juvenile, and probate matters. He has also served as a Municipal Prosecutor and Municipal Attorney, and currently serves in the Alabama Army National Guard Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. Judge Burke received his B.A. from the University of Alabama and J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law.
If confirmed, Jeffrey Uhlman Beaverstock of Alabama will serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. Jeff Beaverstock is a partner in the Mobile, Alabama, office of Burr & Forman, LLP, where his practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation in State and Federal courts. Before entering the practice of law, Mr. Beaverstock served on active duty for four years as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, and has served in the U.S. Army Reserve since leaving active duty. Mr. Beaverstock currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the U.S. Army (Reserve) and is the Chief of Contract and Administrative Law for the 377th Theater Sustainment Command. Mr. Beaverstock earned his B.A. from The Citadel, where he was selected as the Distinguished Military Graduate and as the Most Outstanding Army Cadet. He earned his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, where he served as managing editor of the Alabama Law Review.
If confirmed, Daniel D. Domenico of Colorado will serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Dan Domenico currently serves as managing partner of Kittredge LLC. From 2006 to 2015, Mr. Domenico served as the Solicitor General of Colorado, where he oversaw major litigation for the State and represented governors from both political parties. During his time as Solicitor General, he argued in State and Federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court, and received the Supreme Court Best Brief Award from the National Association of Attorneys General. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest state solicitor general in the country, and his nine years of service made him the longest serving solicitor general in Colorado history. He has also served as an adjunct professor of natural resources and advanced constitutional law at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law. Earlier in his career, Mr. Domenico was a law clerk to Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and an associate at Hogan & Hartson LLP. A native of Boulder, he earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and served as an editor of the Virginia Law Review.
If confirmed, Thomas Alvin Farr of North Carolina, will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Tom Farr is currently a shareholder in the Raleigh office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., where his practice focuses on employment matters and constitutional law. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Farr was an attorney with the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and counsel to the U.S. Senate and Labor Human Resources Committee. Mr. Farr also served as a law clerk to Judge Frank W. Bullock, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. He received his B.L.S., summa cum laude, from Hillsdale College, where he was co-salutatorian. He received his J.D. from Emory University and an L.L.M. in labor law from Georgetown University.
If confirmed, Charles Barnes Goodwin of Oklahoma will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. Judge Charles Goodwin currently serves as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Oklahoma. In that capacity, he has presided over approximately 500 initial proceedings in felony cases, issued approximately 350 opinions in civil cases, and disposed of over 1000 misdemeanor cases. Earlier in his career, Magistrate Judge Goodwin was a partner and civil litigator at Crowe & Dunlevy, P.C., and he served as a law clerk to Judge Lee R. West of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and to then-Magistrate Judge Claire V. Eagan in the Northern District of Oklahoma. He received his B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he served on the Oklahoma Law Review.
If confirmed, Michael J. Juneau of Louisiana will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Michael Juneau is a founding member and shareholder of Juneau David, APLC, a Lafayette-based litigation firm that handles a broad range of civil litigation in state and federal courts across Louisiana. Mr. Juneau also has extensive experience administering mass tort settlements as a court-appointed neutral in significant mass tort and nationwide class action matters. In this capacity, he has managed some of the largest multidistrict litigation in U.S. history, including In Re: Vioxx Products Liability Litigation and In Re: Oil Spill by the Rig “Deepwater Horizon” in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. Mr. Juneau received his B.S., magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was selected as the best oralist in the Ames Moot Court Competition.
If confirmed, Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of Texas will serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Matt Kacsmaryk is Deputy General Counsel to First Liberty Institute, where his practice focuses on religious liberty litigation in federal courts and amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court. From 2008 through 2013, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Texas, where he was lead counsel in over 75 criminal appeals and co-counsel in high-profile criminal and terrorism trials. In 2013, Mr. Kacsmaryk received the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security for his work in United States v. Aldawsari. From 2003 to 2008, he was an associate in the Dallas office of Baker Botts LLP, where he focused on commercial, constitutional, and intellectual property litigation. In 2005, he received the firm’s Opus Justitiae Award for Outstanding Commitment to Pro Bono Work. He earned his J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 2003 and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Abilene Christian University in 1999.
If confirmed, Emily Coody Marks of Alabama will serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. Emily Marks is a partner in the Montgomery, Alabama, office of Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak, P.A., where she has practiced since joining the firm as an associate in 1998. Mrs. Marks specializes in labor and employment law, civil rights law, and appellate practice, and routinely lectures on these topics before employers and other members of the bar. Mrs. Marks earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Spring Hill College, and her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, where she served as chair of the John A. Campbell Moot Court Board and as a senior editor of the University of Alabama Law & Psychology Review.
If confirmed, Terry F. Moorer of Alabama will serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. Judge Terry Moorer currently serves as a Magistrate Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, a position he assumed in 2007. Before assuming his judgeship, Judge Moorer served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Alabama, as a Command Judge Advocate in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, and as an attorney in the Office of Staff Judge Advocate in Fort Rucker, Alabama. Judge Moorer earned his Associate of Arts from the Marion Military Institute, his B.A. from Huntington College, and his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law.
If confirmed, Mark S. Norris, Sr., of Tennessee, will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. Mark Norris currently serves as special counsel in the Memphis office of Adams and Reese LLP and as the Senate Majority Leader of the Tennessee General Assembly. His law practice includes a wide variety of civil litigation and business matters. Prior to joining Adams and Reese, Mr. Norris was a Senior Member of Armstrong Allen, PLLC. Mr. Norris was first elected to represent District 32 in the Tennessee Senate in 2000 and has served as Majority Leader since 2007. He previously served on the Shelby County Board of Commissioners. He received his B.A. from Colorado College, and his J.D. from the University of Denver.
If confirmed, William McCrary Ray, II, of Georgia will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Judge Billy Ray currently serves as the Presiding Judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals. Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeals, Judge Ray served for ten years as a Superior Court Judge on the Gwinnett Judicial Circuit. Before ascending to the bench, Judge Ray served for six years in the Georgia State Senate and was a partner in the Gwinnett County law firm of Andersen, Davidson & Tate, P.C., Judge Ray received his B.B.A from the University of Georgia Terry School of Business, magna cum laude, his M.B.A., from the University of Georgia Terry School of Business, and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law.
If confirmed, Eli J. Richardson of Tennessee, will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Eli Richardson is currently a member in the Nashville office of Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC, where he represents clients in a range of criminal and civil matters and conducts internal corporate investigations. Mr. Richardson also serves as an adjunct professor at the Vanderbilt University Law School, and previously taught trial advocacy at Belmont University College of Law. Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Mr. Richardson served for twelve years in the Department of Justice, including four years as a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation; seven years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of New Jersey and the Middle District of Tennessee; and one year on detail as Resident Legal Advisor to Serbia. Prior to his Federal service, Mr. Richardson practiced law both at law firms and in a solo practice. He received his B.S.E., cum laude, from Duke University, and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he served as a member of the Vanderbilt Law Review.
If confirmed, Holly Lou Teeter of Kansas will serve as a District Judge on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Holly Teeter is currently an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. Earlier in her career, Mrs. Teeter practiced patent law at Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP, and was a Patent Law Clerk at Los Alamos National Security, LLC. She served as a law clerk to Judge Brian C. Wimes of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri and to Judge Carlos Murguia of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. Mrs. Teeter received her B.S., with highest distinction, from the University of Kansas School of Engineering, and her J.D. from the University of Kansas, where she was a member of the Kansas Law Review and graduated first in her class. She also holds a Diploma in Legal Studies from the University of Oxford.
