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Kai Scott
2023 - Present
2
Kai Scott is a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden (D) on July 12, 2022, and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 7, 2022, by a vote of 50-42.[1][2] Scott was one of 235 Article III judges nominated by President Joe Biden (D) and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. To see a full list of judges appointed by Joe Biden, click here.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania 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 her confirmation, Scott was a judge for the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. She was elected on November 3, 2015.
Judicial nominations, appointments, and elections
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden
On July 12, 2022, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Kai Scott to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Scott was confirmed by a 50-42 vote of the U.S. Senate on December 7, 2022.[1] Scott received commission on January 18, 2023. To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
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| Nominee Information |
| Name: Kai Scott |
| Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 148 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: July 12, 2022
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| ABA Rating: Well qualified by a substantial majority / qualified by a minority
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| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: September 7, 2022
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| Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: September 29, 2022
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| Confirmed: December 7, 2022
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| Vote: 50-42
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Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Scott by a vote of 50-42 on December 7, 2022.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Scott confirmation vote (December 7, 2022) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
42 | 0 | 6 | ||||||
 Republican |
6 | 42 | 2 | ||||||
 Independent |
2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 50 | 42 | 8 | ||||||
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Scott's nomination on September 7, 2022. Scott was reported to the full Senate on September 29, 2022, after a 13-9 committee vote.[3]
Nomination
On July 12, 2022, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Kai Scott to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Scott was nominated to replace Judge Darnell Jones II, who assumed senior status on March 15, 2021.[1]
The American Bar Association rated Scott well qualified by a substantial majority and qualified by a minority.[4] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas (2015-2022)
- See also: Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2015
Pennsylvania's judicial elections included a primary on May 19, 2015, and a general election on November 3, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates was March 11, 2015.
The following candidates ran in the general election.
| Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, 12 seats, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Kenneth J. Powell, Jr. Incumbent |
9.4% | 150,720 | |
| Democratic | Mia Roberts-Perez |
9.1% | 145,722 | |
| Democratic | Kai Scott |
8.9% | 143,461 | |
| Democratic | Tracy Brandeis-Roman |
8.8% | 141,304 | |
| Democratic | Abbe Fletman Incumbent |
8.7% | 140,026 | |
| Democratic | Lyris Younge |
8.3% | 133,420 | |
| Democratic | Stephanie M. Sawyer |
7.8% | 124,875 | |
| Democratic | Michael Fanning Incumbent |
7.5% | 119,823 | |
| Democratic | Chris Mallios |
7.5% | 119,757 | |
| Democratic | Daine A. Grey Jr. |
7.4% | 119,141 | |
| Democratic | Rainy Papademetriou |
7.3% | 117,702 | |
| Democratic | Scott Diclaudio |
7.0% | 112,577 | |
| Republican | Vincent Furlong | 2.3% | 36,186 | |
| Total Votes | 1,604,714 | |||
| Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "Unofficial General Election Results," November 3, 2015 | ||||
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary.
Bar association rating
Scott was highly recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association.[5]
Endorsements
- Democratic City Committee
- AFSCME District Council 33
- AFSCME District Council 47
- NUHHCE District 1199C
- Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO
- Laborer's District Council 332
- Transport Workers Union, Local 234
- Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #5
- International Association of Firefighters, Local 22
- Black Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity
- The Philadelphia Chapter of the Civic Guardian League
- Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 830
- Teamsters Joint Council 53
- Philadelphia National Organization for Women[6]
Biography
Education
Scott earned a bachelor's degree from Hampton University in 1991 and a J.D. from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1995.[7][2]
Career
- 2015-2022: Judge, Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas
- 2010-2015: Trial Unit Chief, Federal Community Defender Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- 2004-2010: Assistant Federal Defender
- Trial attorney, Defender Association of Philadelphia
- 1996-1998: Law clerk, Judge Donald Poorman of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers Compensation[2]
Awards and associations
- Member, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church
- Member, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.[7]
About the court
| Eastern District of Pennsylvania |
|---|
| Third Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 22 |
| Judges: 22 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Wendy Beetlestone |
| Active judges: Wendy Beetlestone, Mary Kay Costello, Paul Diamond, John Gallagher, Mitchell Goldberg, Catherine Henry, Kelley Hodge, Mark A. Kearney, Chad F. Kenney Sr., Joseph F. Leeson Jr., Karen Marston, Gerald Austin McHugh Jr., John Frank Murphy, Gerald J. Pappert, Mia Roberts Perez, Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro, Juan Sanchez, Jeffrey L. Schmehl, Kai Scott, Gail Weilheimer, Joshua Wolson, John M. Younge Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is one of 94 United States district courts. It is one of the original thirteen federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789.
When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit based in downtown Philadelphia at the James Byrne Courthouse.
Jurisdiction
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The geographic jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania consists of all the following counties in the eastern part of the state:
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 Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- Courts in Pennsylvania
- Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden
External links
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Congress.gov, "PN2366 — Kai N. Scott — The Judiciary," accessed July 13, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Biden Names Twenty-First Round of Judicial Nominees ," July 12, 2022
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting – September 29, 2022," September 29, 2022
- ↑ American Bar Association, "STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY RATINGS OF ARTICLE III AND ARTICLE IV JUDICIAL NOMINEES 117TH CONGRESS," last updated September 6, 2022
- ↑ Philadelphia Bar Association, "Philadelphia Bar Association Releases Final Ratings of Judicial Candidates for May 19 Primary Election," May 5, 2015
- ↑ Kai Scott campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed June 3, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kai Scott campaign website, "About Kai," accessed April 2, 2015
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| Commissioned in 2025 | |||
| Commissioned in 2024 |
John Kazen • John Russell • Margaret Garnett • Cristal Brisco • Jacquelyn Austin • Gretchen Hess Lund • Micah Smith • Joshua Kolar • Karoline Mehalchick • Kirk Sherriff • Lisa Wang • David Leibowitz • Jacqueline Becerra • Julie Sneed • Melissa Damian • Kelly H. Rankin • Nicole Berner • Sunil Harjani • Leon Schydlower • Ernesto Gonzalez • Susan Bazis • Robert White • Ann Marie McIff Allen • Eumi Lee • Krissa Lanham • Eric Schulte • Camela Theeler • Angela Martinez • Jasmine Yoon • Nancy Maldonado • Meredith Vacca • Georgia Alexakis • Joseph Saporito • Amy Baggio • Stacey Neumann • Mary Kay Lanthier • Adam Abelson • Laura Provinzino • Mary Kay Costello • Dena Coggins • Kevin Ritz • Shanlyn A. S. Park • Byron Conway • Jeannette Vargas • Michelle Williams Court • Jonathan E. Hawley • April Perry • Mustafa Kasubhai • Sarah Russell • Amir Ali • Rebecca Pennell • Anthony Brindisi • Elizabeth Coombe • Cynthia Valenzuela • Anne Hwang • Brian Murphy • Noël Wise • Sanket Bulsara • Tiffany Johnson • Sparkle Sooknanan • Gail Weilheimer • Embry Kidd • Melissa DuBose • Sharad Desai • Serena R. Murillo • Benjamin Cheeks • Sarah Davenport | ||
| Commissioned in 2023 | Kai Scott • Tamika Montgomery-Reeves • Margaret R. Guzman • Daniel Calabretta • Matthew Garcia • DeAndrea G. Benjamin • Cindy Chung • Adrienne Nelson • Lindsay Jenkins • Gina Méndez-Miró • Araceli Martínez-Olguín • Jamar Walker • Ana Reyes • Jamal Whitehead • Gordon Gallagher • Matthew Brookman• Maria Araujo Kahn• James Simmons • Robert Ballou• Andrew Schopler • Jonathan Grey• Colleen Lawless • Arun Subramanian • Jessica Clarke • Robert Kirsch • Michael Farbiarz • Anthony Johnstone • Orelia Merchant • Wesley Hsu • Bradley Garcia • LaShonda A. Hunt • Nancy Gbana Abudu • Amanda Brailsford • Darrel Papillion • Jeremy Daniel • Hernan D. Vera • Julie Rikelman • Nusrat Choudhury • P. Casey Pitts • Myong Joun • Kymberly Evanson • Tiffany Cartwright • Rachel Bloomekatz • Natasha Merle • Dale Ho • Philip Hadji • Rita Lin • Brendan Hurson • Vernon D. Oliver • Matthew Maddox • Julia Munley • Brandy McMillion • Susan DeClercq • Julia Kobick • Ramon Reyes, Jr. • Ana de Alba • Kenly Kiya Kato • Mónica Ramírez Almadani • Jeffrey M. Bryan • Jamel Semper • Irma Ramirez • Richard Federico • Loren AliKhan • Brandon Long • Jerry Edwards Jr.• Sara Hill • Joseph Laroski | ||
| Commissioned in 2022 |
David Herrera Urias • Gabriel Sanchez • Holly Thomas • Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong • David Ruiz • Charles Fleming • Bridget Brennan • Leonard Stark • Alison J. Nathan • John Chun • Julie Rubin • Jacqueline Scott Corley • Ruth Bermudez Montenegro • Victoria Calvert • Georgette Castner • Anne Traum • Cristina Silva • Ketanji Brown Jackson (Supreme Court) • Sarah Geraghty • Hector Gonzalez • Fred Slaughter • Jennifer Rochon • Robert Huie • Sunshine S. Sykes • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Evelyn Padin • Sherilyn P. Garnett • Ana de Alba • J. Michelle Childs • Trina Thompson • Elizabeth Hanes • Nancy Maldonado • Nina Morrison • Gregory Williams • John Z. Lee • Sal Mendoza, Jr. • Lara Montecalvo • Florence Pan • Andre Mathis • Sarah A.L. Merriam • Jennifer Rearden • Roopali Desai • María Antongiorgi-Jordán • Camille Vélez-Rivé • Doris Pryor • Frances Kay Behm • Dana Douglas • Mia Roberts Perez • Anne Nardacci • Jeffery P. Hopkins | ||
| Commissioned in 2021 |
Ketanji Brown Jackson • Zahid Quraishi • Julien Xavier Neals • Deborah Boardman • Regina Rodriguez • Candace Jackson-Akiwumi • Lydia Kay Griggsby • Tiffany Cunningham • Eunice Lee • Angel Kelley • Florence Pan • Veronica Rossman • David G. Estudillo • Sarah A.L. Merriam • Gustavo Gelpí • Christine O'Hearn • Margaret Strickland • Karen McGlashan Williams • Patricia Tolliver Giles • Toby Heytens • Michael Nachmanoff • Sarala Nagala • Beth Robinson • Omar A. Williams • Myrna Pérez • Jia Cobb • Tana Lin • Lauren King • Lucy H. Koh • Jennifer Sung • Samantha Elliott • Katherine Menendez • Mary Dimke • Linda Lopez • Shalina Kumar • Jane Beckering • Jinsook Ohta • Jennifer L. Thurston • Stephen Locher • Charlotte Sweeney • Nina Nin-Yuen Wang • Arianna Freeman • Jerry Blackwell | ||
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Federal courts:
Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania
State courts:
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania Superior Court • Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court • Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas • Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts
State resources:
Courts in Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania judicial elections • Judicial selection in Pennsylvania
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