It’s the 12 Days of Ballotpedia! Your gift powers the trusted, unbiased information voters need heading into 2026. Donate now!
Edmund LaCour
Edmund G. LaCour, Jr. is a judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. He was nominated to the court by President Donald Trump (R) on September 2, 2025, and confirmed by the United States Senate on October 29, 2025, by a vote of 51-47. To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.[1][2][3]
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Prior to joining the court, LaCour was the solicitor general for the state of Alabama.
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (2025-present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On September 2, 2025, President Donald Trump (R) nominated LaCour to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.[2] LaCour received commission on November 4, 2025.[3] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Edmund LaCour |
| Court: [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama]] |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 57 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: September 2, 2025
|
| ABA Rating: Well qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: September 3, 2025
|
| Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: October 1, 2025
|
| Confirmed: October 29, 2025
|
| Vote: 51-47
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed LaCour by a vote of 51-47 on October 29, 2025.[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Edmund G. LaCour, Jr. confirmation vote (October 29, 2025) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
0 | 45 | 0 | ||||||
 Republican |
51 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
 Independent |
0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 51[4] | 47 | 2 | ||||||
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Edmund LaCour was reported to the full Senate on October 1, 2025, after a 12-10 committee vote.[5]
Nomination
On September 2, 2025, President Donald Trump (R) nominated LaCour to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.[2] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
LaCour was nominated to replace Judge Scott Coogler, who retired from the court on January 2, 2025.[6]
The American Bar Association (ABA) rated LaCour well qualified.[7] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On June 2, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) nominated LaCour to a seat on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.[8] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
Nomination
On May 20, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate LaCour to a seat on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.[9] The president officially nominated LaCour on June 2.[8] LaCour's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2021.[10] President Trump renominated LaCour on the same day.[11] President Joe Biden (D) withdrew the nomination on February 4, 2021.[12]
LaCour was nominated to replace Judge Andrew Brasher, who was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Brasher was confirmed to the 11th Circuit on February 11, 2020.
LaCour received support from Alabama Senator Richard Shelby (R), who tweeted, "He is a highly-qualified candidate for this esteemed role, and I believe he will be a great addition to our nation’s judicial system."[13]
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall (R) also said of LaCour, "His academic record and the impressive breadth and depth of his legal experience, from trial courts to the United States Supreme Court, assure he will be an outstanding jurist for Alabama’s Middle District Court."[14]
The American Bar Association rated LaCour qualified by a majority and well qualified by the minority for the position.[15] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Biography
Education
LaCour earned his B.A., summa cum laude, from Birmingham-Southern College, his M. Phil. from Trinity College Dublin, and his J.D. from Yale Law School.[9]
Professional career
LaCour became the solicitor general for the state of Alabama in 2019. He joined the Alabama Attorney General’s Office in 2018. Before that, he was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, in Washington, D.C. He also previously practiced at Bancroft PLLC, and Baker Botts, LLP. After graduating from law school, LaCour was a law clerk to Judge William H. Pryor, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.[9]
LaCour was sworn into the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama on November 4, 2025.[3]
About the court
| Northern District of Alabama |
|---|
| Eleventh Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 8 |
| Judges: 8 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief: David Proctor |
| Active judges: Annemarie C. Axon, Liles Burke, Madeline Haikala, Edmund G. LaCour, Jr., Anna Manasco, Corey Maze, Harold Mooty, David Proctor Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama is one of 94 United States district courts. The district operates out of courthouses in Anniston, Birmingham, Decatur, Florence, Gadsden, Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit based in downtown Atlanta at the Elbert P. Tuttle Federal Courthouse.
The Northern District of Alabama has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
There are three court divisions, each covering the following counties:
The Eastern Division, covering Chambers, Lee, Macon, Randolph, Russell, and Tallapoosa counties.
The Northern Division, covering Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Chilton, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery, and Pike counties.
The Southern Division, covering Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties.
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
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
- United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Biography from Federal Judicial Center
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
- United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
- Profile from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
Footnotes
- ↑ Truth Social, "Donald Trump," August 12, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Congress.gov, "PN466-2 — Edmund G. LaCour Jr. — The Judiciary," accessed September 9, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT - NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, "RE: WELCOME TO TWO NEW U.S. DISTRICT JUDGES," November 4, 2025
- ↑ Note: The bolded number reflects the largest number.
- ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "RESULTS OF COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE BUSINESS MEETING," accessed October 9, 2025
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge L. Scott Coogler," accessed June 19, 2017
- ↑ American Bar Association, "STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY," accessed October 2, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Congress.gov, "PN1942 — Edmund G. LaCour Jr. — The Judiciary," accessed June 3, 2020
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominee," May 20, 2020
- ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days.
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Thirty Nominations Sent to the Senate," January 3, 2021
- ↑ Congress.gov, "PN29 — Edmund G. LaCour Jr. — The Judiciary," accessed February 8, 2021
- ↑ Twitter, "Richard Shelby on May 20, 2020," accessed May 21, 2020
- ↑ Yellowhammer, "Trump to nominate Alabama solicitor general to federal judgeship," May 20, 2020
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary: Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees: 116th Congress," accessed September 2, 2020
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Scott Coogler |
United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
Thomas Parker • Elizabeth Branch • Neil Gorsuch • Amul Thapar • David C. Nye • John K. Bush • Kevin Newsom • Timothy J. Kelly • Ralph Erickson • Scott Palk • Trevor McFadden • Joan Larsen • Amy Coney Barrett • Allison Eid • Stephanos Bibas • Donald Coggins Jr. • Dabney Friedrich • Greg Katsas • Steven Grasz • Don Willett • James Ho • William L. Campbell Jr. • David Stras • Tilman E. Self III • Karen Gren Scholer • Terry A. Doughty • Claria Horn Boom • John Broomes • Rebecca Grady Jennings • Kyle Duncan • Kurt Engelhardt • Michael B. Brennan • Joel Carson • Robert Wier • Fernando Rodriguez Jr. • Annemarie Carney Axon • | ||
| 2018 |
Andrew Oldham • Amy St. Eve • Michael Scudder • John Nalbandian • Mark Bennett • Andrew Oldham • Britt Grant • Colm Connolly • Maryellen Noreika • Jill Otake • Jeffrey Beaverstock • Emily Coody Marks • Holly Lou Teeter • Julius Richardson • Charles B. Goodwin • Barry Ashe • Stan Baker • A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. • Terry F. Moorer • Susan Baxter • William Jung • Alan Albright • Dominic Lanza • Eric Tostrud • Charles Williams • Nancy E. Brasel • James Sweeney • Kari A. Dooley • Marilyn J. Horan • Robert Summerhays • Brett Kavanaugh • David Porter • Liles Burke • Michael Juneau • Peter Phipps • Lance Walker • Richard Sullivan • Eli Richardson • Ryan Nelson • Chad F. Kenney, Sr. • Susan Brnovich • William M. Ray, II • Jeremy Kernodle • Thomas Kleeh • J.P. Hanlon • Mark Norris • Jonathan Kobes • Michael Brown • David Counts | ||
| 2019 |
Eric Miller • Chad Readler • Eric Murphy • Neomi Rao • Paul Matey • Allison Jones Rushing • Bridget S. Bade • Roy Altman • Patrick Wyrick • Holly Brady • David Morales • Andrew Brasher • J. Campbell Barker • Rodolfo Ruiz • Daniel Domenico • Michael Truncale • Michael Park • Joseph Bianco • Raúl Arias-Marxuach • Daniel Collins • Joshua Wolson • Wendy Vitter • Kenneth Kiyul Lee • Kenneth Bell • Stephen Clark • Howard Nielson • Rodney Smith • Jean-Paul Boulee • Sarah Daggett Morrison • Rossie Alston • Pamela A. Barker • Corey Maze • Greg Guidry • Matthew Kacsmaryk • Allen Winsor • Carl Nichols • James Cain, Jr. • Tom Barber • J. Nicholas Ranjan • Clifton L. Corker • Peter Phipps • Daniel Bress • Damon Leichty • Wendy W. Berger • Peter Welte • Michael Liburdi • William Shaw Stickman • Mark Pittman • Karin J. Immergut • Jason Pulliam • Brantley Starr • Brian Buescher • James Wesley Hendrix • Timothy Reif • Martha Pacold • Sean Jordan • Mary Rowland • John M. Younge • Jeff Brown • Ada Brown • Steven Grimberg • Stephanie A. Gallagher • Steven Seeger • Stephanie Haines • Mary McElroy • David J. Novak • Frank W. Volk • Charles Eskridge • Rachel Kovner • Justin Walker • T. Kent Wetherell • Danielle Hunsaker • Lee Rudofsky • Jennifer Philpott Wilson • William Nardini • Steven Menashi • Robert J. Luck • Eric Komitee • Douglas Cole • John Sinatra • Sarah Pitlyk • Barbara Lagoa • Richard Myers II • Sherri Lydon • Patrick Bumatay • R. Austin Huffaker • Miller Baker • Anuraag Singhal • Karen Marston • Jodi Dishman • Mary Kay Vyskocil • Matthew McFarland • John Gallagher • Bernard Jones • Kea Riggs • Robert J. Colville • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Gary R. Brown • David Barlow • Lewis Liman | ||
| 2020 |
Lawrence VanDyke • Daniel Traynor • John Kness • Joshua Kindred • Philip Halpern • Silvia Carreno-Coll • Scott Rash • John Heil • Anna Manasco • John L. Badalamenti • Drew Tipton • Andrew Brasher • Cory Wilson • Scott Hardy • David Joseph • Matthew Schelp • John Cronan • Justin Walker • Brett H. Ludwig • Christy Wiegand • Thomas Cullen • Diane Gujarati • Stanley Blumenfeld • Mark Scarsi • John Holcomb • Stephen P. McGlynn • Todd Robinson • Hala Jarbou • David Dugan • Iain D. Johnston • Franklin U. Valderrama • John Hinderaker • Roderick Young • Michael Newman • Aileen Cannon • James Knepp • Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson • Toby Crouse • Philip Calabrese • Taylor McNeel • Thomas Kirsch • Stephen Vaden • Katherine Crytzer • Fernando Aenlle-Rocha • Charles Atchley • Joseph Dawson | ||
| 2025 |
Whitney Hermandorfer • Joshua Divine • Cristian M. Stevens • Zachary Bluestone • Emil Bove • Edward Artau • Kyle Dudek• Maria Lanahan• Jennifer Mascott• Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe• Chad Meredith• Harold Mooty• Jordan Pratt• Edmund LaCour• Bill Lewis• Eric Tung• Rebecca Taibleson• Joshua D. Dunlap• Bill Mercer• Susan Rodriguez• Robert Chamberlin• Matthew Orso• David Bragdon | ||
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama
State courts:
Alabama Supreme Court • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals • Alabama Circuit Courts • Alabama District Courts • Alabama Juvenile Courts • Alabama Municipal Courts • Alabama Probate Courts • Alabama Small Claims Courts
State resources:
Courts in Alabama • Alabama judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alabama
 |
State of Alabama Montgomery (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
