Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.
Joseph Barloon
2025 - Present
0
Joseph L. Barloon is an officeholder of the Deputy United States Trade Representative and Representative of the United States to the World Trade Organization, Geneva. He assumed office on October 7, 2025.
On November 16, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Barloon to the United States Court of International Trade. Barloon's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2021. President Trump renominated Barloon on January 3.[1] President Joe Biden (D) withdrew the nomination on February 4, 2021.[2] Click here for more information on Barloon's federal judicial nomination.
The United States Court of International Trade is an Article III federal court. It hears only cases involving particular international trade and customs law questions. To learn more about the court, click here.
Judicial nominations and appointments
U.S. Court of International Trade
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On November 16, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Barloon to the United States Court of International Trade.[3] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Joseph Barloon |
| Court: United States Court of International Trade |
| Progress |
| Returned 48 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: November 16, 2020
|
| ABA Rating: Well qualified
|
| Questionnaire: |
 Hearing:
|
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported:
|
| Confirmed:
|
| Returned: January 3, 2021
|
| Withdrawn: February 4, 2021
|
Nomination
On October 21, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Barloon to a seat on the United States Court of International Trade.[4] The president officially nominated Barloon to the court on November 16, 2020.[3] Barloon's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2021.[5] The president renominated Barloon on January 3.[1] President Joe Biden (D) withdrew the nomination on February 4, 2021.[2]
Barloon was nominated to replace Judge Leo Gordon, who assumed senior status on March 22, 2019.
The American Bar Association rated Barloon well qualified.[6] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Education
Barloon earned a B.A. in classics from Harvard College, an M.A. in English literature from the University of Pennsylvania, and a J.D., summa cum laude, from Georgetown Law School. Barloon was a member of the Georgetown Law Review. He also received the George Brent Mickum III Prize and the John M. Olin Prize in Law and Economics.[7]
Professional career
Barloon is the general counsel of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and acting deputy U.S. trade representative. He was previously a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. After graduating from law school, Barloon was a law clerk for Judge Douglas Ginsburg of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.[7]
About the court
| Court of International Trade |
|---|
| Federal Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 9 |
| Judges: 8 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Mark A. Barnett |
| Active judges: Miller Baker, Mark A. Barnett, Jennifer Choe Groves, Gary S. Katzmann, Claire R. Kelly, Joseph Laroski, Timothy Reif, Lisa Wang Senior judges: |
The United States Court of International Trade is an Article III federal court. The Customs Court Act of 1980 replaced the former United States Customs Court with the United States Court of International Trade. The court sits in New York City, although it is authorized to sit elsewhere, including in foreign nations.
Appeals from the Court of International Trade are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which normally sits in Washington, D.C. Further appeals from the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit are heard by the Supreme Court of the United States.[8]
The Court of International Trade has 9 authorized judicial posts. The chief judge of the court is Mark A. Barnett, who was appointed by President Barack Obama (D). Three of the judges on the court were appointed by President Donald Trump (R).
The court possesses limited subject matter jurisdiction across the United States. It may hear only cases involving particular international trade and customs law questions. The court hears disputes, such as those involving protests filed with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, decisions regarding Trade Adjustment Assistance by the U.S. Department of Labor or U.S. Department of Agriculture, customs broker licensing, and disputes relating to determinations made by the United States International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration regarding anti-dumping and countervailing duties.
Most cases are heard by a single judge. If a case challenges the constitutionality of a U.S. law or has important implications regarding the administration or interpretation of the customs laws, then it may be heard by a three-judge panel.
Although the court maintains its own rules of procedure, they are patterned for the most part on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The court has held that decisions interpreting the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are "instructive" in interpreting its own rules.[9]
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
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States Court of International Trade
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- Biography from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (archived October 2020)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 WhiteHouse.gov, "Thirty Nominations Sent to the Senate," January 3, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Congress.gov, "PN25 — Joseph L. Barloon — The Judiciary," accessed February 8, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Congress.gov, "PN2332 — Joseph L. Barloon — The Judiciary," accessed November 17, 2020
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees," October 21, 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.
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary Ratings of Article III and Article IV Judicial Nominees - 116th Congress," accessed December 1, 2020
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Office of the United States Trade Representative, "General Counsel and Acting Deputy USTR for China Affairs Joseph L. Barloon," archived October 1, 2020
- ↑ Court of International Trade, "About the Court," accessed May 2, 2021
- ↑ Court of International Trade, "About the Court," accessed August 2, 2019
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Maryland • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Maryland
State courts:
Maryland Supreme Court • Appellate Court of Maryland • Maryland District Courts • Maryland Circuit Courts • Maryland Orphans' Court
State resources:
Courts in Maryland • Maryland judicial elections • Judicial selection in Maryland
