Jennifer Mascott

Third Circuit
	Court of Appeals
Judgeships
	Posts: 14
	Judges: 14
	Vacancies: 0
Judges
	Chief: Michael Chagares
	Active judges: Stephanos Bibas, Emil Bove, Michael Chagares, Cindy Chung, Arianna Freeman, Thomas Hardiman, Cheryl Ann Krause, Jennifer Mascott, Paul Matey, Tamika Montgomery-Reeves, Peter Phipps, David Porter, Luis Felipe Restrepo, Patty Shwartz; Senior judges:; Thomas Ambro, Robert Cowen, D. Michael Fisher, Julio Fuentes, Theodore McKee, Richard Nygaard, Marjorie Rendell, Jane Roth, Anthony Scirica, David Brooks Smith, Walter Stapleton

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
	Name: Jennifer Mascott
	Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Progress
	Confirmed 37 days after nomination.
	Nominated: September 2, 2025
	ABA Rating: Qualified
	Questionnaire: Questionnaire
	Hearing: September 3, 2025
	Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript
	QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
	Reported: October 1, 2025
	Confirmed: October 9, 2025
	Vote: 50-47

Jennifer Mascott is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

On July 16, 2025, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Jennifer Mascott to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.^[1] On September 2, 2025, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Mascott to the court. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 9, 2025, by a vote of 50-47.^[2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third 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.

Prior to joining the court, Mascott was an American law professor.^[1]

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (2025-present)

See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

On July 16, 2025, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Mascott to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She was confirmed by a 50-47 vote of the U.S. Senate on October 9, 2025.^[2] Mascott received commission on October 10, 2025.^[1]^[3] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Mascott by a vote of 50-47 on October 9, 2025.^[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Jennifer Mascott confirmation vote (October 9, 2025)
Party	Yea	Nay	No vote
Democratic	0	44	1
Republican	50	1	2
Independent	0	2	0
Total	50^[4]	47	3

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Mascott's nomination on September 3, 2025. The committee voted to advance Mascott's nomination to the full Senate on September 11, 2025.^[5]^[2]

Jennifer Mascott was reported to the full Senate on October 1, 2025, after a 12-10 committee vote.^[5]

Nomination

On July 16, 2025, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Jennifer Mascott to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. On September 2, 2025, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Mascott to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.^[2] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Chamberlin was nominated to replace Judge Sharion Aycock, who assumed senior status on April 15, 2025.^[6]

The American Bar Association (ABA) rated Mascott qualified.^[7] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Biography

Education

Mascott obtained a B.S. from the University of Maryland and a J.D. from George Washington University Law School.^[3]

Career

2025-present: Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
2025-2025: Senior counsel, White House Counsel's Office
2024-2025: Associate professor of law, Catholic Law School
2020-2021: U.S. Department of Justice deputy associate deputy attorney general
2019-2021: U.S. Department of Justice deputy assistant attorney general, Office of Legal Counsel
2017-2024: George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School Assistant professor of law
2017-2019: Private practice, Arlington, Virginia
2016-2017: George Washington University Law School Olin/Searle Fellow
2015-2017: Georgetown University Law Center Olin/Searle Fellow
2015-2017: George Washington University Law School professorial lecturer in law
2011-2013: George Washington University Law School professorial lecturer in law
2008-2009: Law clerk to the Hon. Clarence Thomas, Supreme Court of the United States
2006-2007: Law clerk to the Hon. Brett M. Kavanaugh, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit^[3]

About the court

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal appellate court with appellate jurisdiction. It hears appeals from all of the circuit courts within its jurisdiction and its rulings may be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Appeals are heard in the James A. Byrne Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It shares a courthouse with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

One judge of the Third Circuit went on to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Samuel Alito was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2006 by George W. Bush (R). --> The Third 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. Appeals of rulings by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals are petitioned to the Supreme Court of the United States. Justice Samuel Alito is the circuit justice for the Third Circuit.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court in the following federal judicial districts:

It also has appellate jurisdiction over the United States District Court for the U.S. Virgin Islands which, in spite of the name, is a territorial court and belongs to no federal judicial district.

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.