Holly Brady

Northern District of Indiana
	Seventh Circuit
Judgeships
	Posts: 5
	Judges: 5
	Vacancies: 0
Judges
	Chief: Holly Brady
	Active judges: Holly Brady, Cristal Brisco, Damon R. Leichty, Gretchen S. Lund, Philip Simon; Senior judges:; Jon E. DeGuilio, Robert Miller, James T. Moody, Theresa Springmann, Joseph Van Bokkelen

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
	Name: Holly Brady
	Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Progress
	Confirmed 365 days after nomination.
	Nominated: April 10, 2018
	ABA Rating: Unanimously qualified
	Questionnaire: Questionnaire
	Hearing: June 6, 2018
	QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
	Reported: June 28, 2018 (first)/February 7, 2019 (second)
	Confirmed: April 10, 2019
	Vote: 56-42

Holly A. Brady is the chief judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. President Donald Trump (R) nominated Brady to a seat on this court on April 10, 2018.^[1] The United States Senate confirmed Brady on April 10, 2019, by a vote of 56-42.^[2] She received her judicial commission on April 16, 2019. She has served as chief judge since 2023.^[3] To see a full list of judges appointed by Trump, click here.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana 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.

At the time of her confirmation, Brady was the only judge on the five-member court appointed by Donald Trump. Two judges were appointed by George W. Bush (R) and one judge was appointed by Barack Obama (D). The court had one vacant seat.

Brady was a partner in the law firm of Haller & Colvin, PC, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, from 2007 to 2019.^[4]

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana (2018)

See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

Brady was nominated as an Article III judge on the Northern District of Indiana by President Donald Trump (R) on April 10, 2018.^[1] The United States Senate confirmed Brady by a 56-42 vote on April 10, 2019.^[2] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Brady on April 10, 2019, on a vote of 56-42.^[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Brady confirmation vote (April 10, 2019)
Party	Yea	Nay	No vote
Democratic	3	40	2
Republican	53	0	0
Independent	0	2	0
Total	56	42	2

Change in Senate rules

See also:

Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress

Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

United States federal courts

Brady was the fourth judge to be confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.

On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.^[5]

The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.^[6]

It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.^[7] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Brady had her hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 6, 2018. The committee reported Brady's nomination to the full Senate on June 28, 2018, on an 11-10 vote.^[8]

The Senate Judiciary Committee favorably reported Brady's nomination a second time on February 7, 2019, on a 12-10 vote. Brady's nomination was one of 44 that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reported that day.^[9]

Nomination

Brady was nominated to succeed Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen, who assumed senior status on September 29, 2017.^[2]

At the sine die adjournment of the 115th Congress on January 3, 2019, the Senate returned Brady's nomination to President Trump.^[10] Brady was one of 51 individuals the president re-nominated on January 23, 2019.^[11]

The American Bar Association unanimously rated Brady qualified for the position.^[12] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Early life and education

Brady was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1969. She received her B.A. in English and political science from Indiana University at Bloomington in 1991. In 1994, Brady obtained her J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law and a certificate of business studies from Indiana University. She received a civil mediator certificate from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2013.^[4]^[13]

Professional career

2019-present: Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
2023-present: Chief judge
2007-2019: Haller & Colvin, P.C.
- 2012-2018: President
- 2007-2019: Member
2002-2007: Member, Theisen Bowers & Brady, LLC
1998-2002: Associate, Barnes & Thornburg LLP^[4]

Associations

2017-present: Seventh Circuit Bar Association
1995-present: Allen County Bar Association
2007-2012, 1998-2001: Americans Inns of Court, Benjamin Harrison Chapter
2006-2015: Northern District of Indiana Federal Community Defenders
1995-2002: Indiana State Bar Association^[4]

About the court

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana is one of 94 United States district courts. It was created in 1928 by an act of Congress that split Indiana into two separate districts, northern and United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The Northern District of Indiana has courthouses in Fort Wayne, Hammond, Lafayette and South Bend, Indiana. Decisions of the court may be appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit based in Chicago, Illinois, at the Everett M. Dirksen Federal Courthouse and Building.

The Northern District of Indiana 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: the Fort Wayne Division, the South Bend Division, and the Hammond Division. Click here to see a list of counties in each division.

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.