Daniel Bress

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Daniel Bress
Image of Daniel Bress

Nonpartisan

United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
Tenure

2019 - Present

Years in position

6

Education

Bachelor's

Harvard College, 2001

Law

University of Virginia School of Law, 2005


Daniel Aaron Bress is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. On February 6, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Bress to a seat on this court. The U.S. Senate confirmed Bress on July 9, 2019, on a 53-45 vote.[1] He received commission on July 26, 2019.[2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.

The United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is one of 13 U.S. courts of appeal. They are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.

Bress was a partner in the office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP from 2011 to 2019.[3]

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit

See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

On February 6, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Bress to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The U.S. Senate confirmed Bress on July 9, 2019, on a 53-45 vote.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Daniel Bress
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
Progress
Confirmed 153 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: February 6, 2019
ApprovedAABA Rating: Substantial majority qualified/minority well qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: May 22, 2019
QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: June 20, 2019 
ApprovedAConfirmed: July 9, 2019
ApprovedAVote: 53-45


Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Bress on July 9, 2019, on a vote of 53-45.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Bress confirmation vote (July 9, 2019)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 0 44 1
Ends.png Republican 53 0 0
Grey.png Independent 0 1 1
Total 53 45 2

Neither Sen. Feinstein nor Sen. Kamala Harris (D) of California returned blue slips for Bress' nomination.[4] A blue slip is a piece of paper a home-state senator returns to the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee to show his or her approval of a federal judicial nominee. Traditionally, United States senators have the power to prevent a federal judicial nominee from receiving a hearing and subsequently being confirmed by withholding a blue slip. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, applies a policy in which the lack of a blue slip does not prevent a judicial nominee from moving forward in the confirmation process.

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Bress' nomination on May 22, 2019.[5] The committee voted 12-10 to advance Bress' nomination to the full Senate on June 20, 2019.[6]

Nomination

On January 30, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Bress to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.[3] Bress' nomination was received in the U.S. Senate on February 6, 2019. He was nominated to succeed Judge Alex Kozinski, who retired on December 18, 2017.[1]

The American Bar Association rated Bress qualified by a substantial majority and well qualified by a minority.[7] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Questions about residency

Bress was born in California and lived in Virginia at the time of his nomination.[8]

On March 7, 2019, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) wrote in an op-ed that she was concerned over Bress' confirmation. She wrote: "[Bress] was born in California but practices law in Washington, D.C., and lives in Virginia. ... Given California’s demographics and the high quality of its educational institutions – and given California’s centrality to the Ninth Circuit – I don’t understand why the White House would choose someone with such a limited connection to the state."[9]

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R) also expressed concern over Bress' nomination. In a committee meeting on March 7, Graham said, "The situation [Feinstein] described about having a nominee for the circuit court with very little connection to California bothers me."[10]

The White House denied claims that Bress did not have ties to California. According to the Sacramento Bee, an anonymous administration official said Bress worked out of Kirkland & Ellis' San Francisco office and owned property and paid taxes in the state.[11]

Ed Whelan of National Review wrote that Bress "has robust ties to California." In his article, Whelan referenced Bress' San Francisco office. He also said Bress had handled several consumer class action cases in the Central, Eastern, and Northern Districts of California.[12]

Education

Bress graduated magna cum laude with his A.B. in government from Harvard College in 2001. He obtained his J.D., Order of the Coif, from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2005. During his legal studies, Bress served as editor-in-chief of the Virginia Law Review. He also received the Roger and Madeleine Traynor Award.[3][13]

Professional career

Awards and associations

Awards

  • 2018: Americas Rising Star Award in product liability, Euromoney Legal Media Group
  • DCA Live 2018 Rising Stars of Law (40 under 40)
  • Benchmark Litigation
    • 2017-2019: D.C. Future Star Award
    • 2016: Under 40 Hot List
  • 2017: DC Rising Stars Award, The National Law Journal
  • 2016: 2016 Rising Star for Class Actions, Law360
  • 2005: Roger and Madeleine Traynor Award, University of Virginia School of Law[14][13]

Associations

  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, Supreme Court Historical Society
  • Mentor, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Success in Law School Mentoring Program
  • Member, The Federalist Society[14]

About the court

The 9th Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over cases heard in one of its subsidiary districts. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The 9th Circuit has jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:

It also has appellate jurisdiction over the following territorial courts:

To read opinions published by this court, click here.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

  • The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
  • The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
  • As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
  • After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
  • If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
  • If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
  • The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
  • If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
  • If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Congress.gov, "PN370 — Daniel Aaron Bress — The Judiciary," accessed February 6, 2019
  2. ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Bress, Daniel Aaron," accessed July 29, 2019
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Judicial Nominees," January 30, 2019
  4. ↑ The Hill, "Senate confirms Trump's 9th Circuit pick despite missing blue slips," July 9, 2019
  5. ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Nominations," May 22, 2019
  6. ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," June 20, 2019
  7. ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nomines," May 21, 2019
  8. ↑ Sacramento Bee "Trump’s 9th Circuit court nominee doesn’t live in California. Some say that’s a problem," March 19, 2019
  9. ↑ YubaNet, "Feinstein Speaks on Blue Slips, Ninth Circuit Nominees," March 7, 2019
  10. ↑ Law360, "Trump 9th Circ. Pick's Lack Of Calif. Ties May Imperil Chances," March 7, 2019
  11. ↑ The Sacramento Bee, "Trump’s 9th Circuit court nominee doesn’t live in California. Some say that’s a problem," March 19, 2019
  12. ↑ National Review, "Ninth Circuit Nominee Daniel Bress’s Robust Ties to California," March 13, 2019
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Kirkland & Ellis, "Daniel Aaron Bress," accessed January 31, 2019
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Daniel Bress," accessed March 29, 2019

Political offices
Preceded by
- 		United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
2019-Present		 Succeeded by
-



California courts

Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California

State courts:

California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts

State resources:

Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California

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