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Tamika Montgomery-Reeves

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Tamika Montgomery-Reeves
Image of Tamika Montgomery-Reeves

Nonpartisan

United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit
Tenure

2023 - Present

Years in position

2

Predecessor
Prior offices
Delaware Court of Chancery
Delaware Supreme Court

Education

Bachelor's

University of Mississippi

Law

University of Georgia School of Law

Personal
Profession
Attorney


Tamika Montgomery-Reeves is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden (D) on July 11, 2022, and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 12, 2022, by a vote of 53-35.[1] Montgomery-Reeves 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 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.

Tamika Montgomery-Reeves was a judge of the Delaware Supreme Court. She assumed office on December 5, 2019, and retired from the court on February 7, 2023. Montgomery-Reeves was nominated by Gov. John Carney (D) on October 24, 2019, and unanimously confirmed by the Delaware State Senate on November 7, 2019. She succeeded Collins Seitz, who became chief justice of the court. Montgomery-Reeves was the first black woman to serve on the state supreme court.[2][3] To learn more about her appointment to the Delaware Supreme Court, click here. To learn more about her resignation from the Delaware Supreme Court, click here.

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country. As part of this study, we assigned each justice a Confidence Score describing our confidence in the degree of partisanship exhibited by the justices' past partisan behavior, before they joined the court.[4] Montgomery-Reeves received a confidence score of Mild Democrat.[5] Click here to read more about this study.

Biography

Montgomery-Reeves received a bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi and a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law.[6] Before becoming a judge in 2015, Montgomery-Reeves was a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, focusing on corporate governance, corporate fiduciary duties, and corporate litigation. She previously worked at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and was a law clerk for Chancellor William B. Chandler III.[6]

Professional career


Judicial nominations and appointments

United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (2023-present)

See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden

On July 11, 2022, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Tamika Montgomery-Reeves to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She was confirmed by a 53-35 vote of the U.S. Senate on December 12, 2022. Montgomery-Reeves received commission on February 7, 2023.[7] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Tamika Montgomery-Reeves
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Progress
Confirmed 154 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: July 11, 2022
ApprovedAABA Rating: Well Qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: September 7, 2022
Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: September 29, 2022 
ApprovedAConfirmed: December 12, 2022
ApprovedAVote: 53-35


Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Montgomery-Reeves by a vote of 53-35 on December 12, 2022.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Tamika Montgomery-Reeves confirmation vote (December 12, 2022)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 43 0 5
Ends.png Republican 8 35 7
Grey.png Independent 2 0 0
Total 53 35 12

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Montgomery-Reeves' nomination on September 7, 2022. Montgomery-Reeves was reported to the full Senate on September 29, 2022, after a 13-9 committee vote.[8] Click here for a list of other nominees awaiting a committee vote.

Nomination

On July 11, 2022, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Montgomery-Reeves to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The president announced his intent to nominate Montgomery-Reeves on June 29, 2022.[9] Click here for a list of other nominees who have been nominated by President Joe Biden.

The American Bar Association rated Montgomery-Reeves well qualified.[10] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Montgomery-Reeves was nominated to replace Judge Thomas Ambro, who assumed senior status upon the confirmation of his successor.[7]

Delaware Supreme Court (2019-2023)

See also: Delaware Supreme Court justice vacancy (October 2019)
See also: Delaware Supreme Court justice vacancy (February 2023)

Montgomery-Reeves was nominated to the Delaware Supreme Court by Gov. John Carney (D) on October 24, 2019, and unanimously confirmed by the Delaware State Senate on November 7, 2019. Montgomery-Reeves is the first black woman to serve on the state supreme court.[2][3]

Delaware Court of Chancery (2015-2019)

Montgomery-Reeves was nominated to be a vice chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery by Gov. Jack Markell (D) on October 13, 2015, and approved by the Delaware General Assembly on October 28.[6] She was the second woman and the first black woman to serve on the court.[11]

About the court

Third Circuit
Court of Appeals
US-CourtOfAppeals-3rdCircuit-Seal.svg
Judgeships
Posts: 14
Judges: 13
Vacancies: 1
Judges
Chief: Michael Chagares
Active judges: Stephanos Bibas, Emil Bove, Michael Chagares, Cindy Chung, Arianna Freeman, Thomas Hardiman, Cheryl Ann Krause, 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


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).


United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the 3rd CircuitUnited States District Court for the Western District of PennsylvaniaUnited States District Court for the Middle District of PennsylvaniaUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of PennsylvaniaUnited States District Court for the District of New JerseyUnited States District Court for the District of DelawareUnited States District Court for the District of DelawareUnited States District Court for the U.S. Virgin IslandsUnited States District Court for the U.S. Virgin IslandsUnited States District Court for the U.S. Virgin IslandsUnited States District Court for the U.S. Virgin Islands
Map of the Third Circuit. Click on a district to find out more about it.


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.


Analysis

Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship (2020)

See also: Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship and Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters

Last updated: June 15, 2020

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country as of June 15, 2020.

The study presented Confidence Scores that represented our confidence in each justice's degree of partisan affiliation. This was not a measure of where a justice fell on an ideological spectrum, but rather a measure of how much confidence we had that a justice was or had been affiliated with a political party. The scores were based on seven factors, including but not limited to party registration.[12]

The five resulting categories of Confidence Scores were:

  • Strong Democrat
  • Mild Democrat
  • Indeterminate[13]
  • Mild Republican
  • Strong Republican

This justice's Confidence Score, as well as the factors contributing to that score, is presented below. The information below was current as of June 2020.

Tamika
Montgomery-Reeves

Delaware

  • Partisan Confidence Score:
    Mild Democrat
  • Judicial Selection Method:
    Assisted appointment through governor controlled judicial nominating commission
  • Key Factors:
    • Was a registered Democrat as of 2020
    • Donated less than $2,000 to Democratic candidates
    • Appointed by a Democratic governor


Partisan Profile

Details:

Montgomery-Reeves was a registered Democrat as of 2020. She donated $50 to a Democratic candidate. Montgomery-Reeves was appointed by Gov. John Carney Jr. (D) in 2019. At the time of her appointment, Delaware was a Democratic trifecta.



State supreme court judicial selection in Delaware

See also: Judicial selection in Delaware


The five justices on the Delaware Supreme Court are selected by an assisted appointment method, whereby a judicial nominating commission screens candidates and submits at least three names to the governor. The governor may decline to appoint someone from this list and instead request a supplemental list, but ultimately a name from one of these lists must be submitted to the Delaware Senate. The commission is made up of 12 members, eleven of which are appointed by the governor (including at least four lawyers and at least three non-lawyers). The president of the Delaware State Bar Association nominates the twelfth member, who is added to the commission with the governor's approval. The governor designates the commission's chairperson.[14]

Appointed justices serve for 12 years, at which point they must apply to the commission for reappointment.[15] The commission must recommend sitting judges for reappointment unless two-thirds or more of the committee object. Reappointed judges also serve 12-year terms.[15] Delaware is relatively unique in that appointees' initial terms are no shorter than their subsequent ones.

Delaware's constitution requires that there be an even partisan balance on each state court. For courts with an even number of judges, this means that no more than half of the seats on the court may be held by judges who are members of the same political party. For courts with an odd number of judges (including the state supreme court), this means that no more than a bare majority of seats on the court may be held by members of the same party. For example, a court with five seats could not have any more than three judges who are members of the same party.[15]

Qualifications

To serve on this court, a judge must:

  • be a state resident; and
  • be learned in the law.[16]

Chief justice

The process for selecting a chief judge or justice for the supreme, superior, and chancery courts is identical to the process used to select associate judges. The governor chooses an appointee from a list compiled by the judicial nominating commission, and if the state Senate gives consent, the appointee will serve a 12-year term as chief.[14]

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the seat is filled as it normally would be if the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. A judicial nominating commission recommends qualified candidates to the governor, and the governor selects a successor from that list with Senate approval. The new appointee serves a 12-year term.[14][17]

The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.



See also

Delaware Judicial Selection More Courts
Seal of Delaware.png
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Courts in Delaware
Superior Court of Delaware
Delaware Supreme Court
Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017
Gubernatorial appointments
Judicial selection in Delaware
Federal courts
State courts
Local courts

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Congress.gov, "PN2315 — Tamika R. Montgomery-Reeves — The Judiciary," accessed December 13, 2022
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Delaware.gov, "Governor Carney Announces Delaware Supreme Court Nominations," October 24, 2019
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 San Francisco Chronicle, "Delaware Senate confirms state Supreme Court picks," November 7, 2019
  4. ↑ We calculated confidence scores by collecting several data points such as party registration, donations, and previous political campaigns.
  5. ↑ The five possible confidence scores were: Strong Democrat, Mild Democrat, Indeterminate, Mild Republican, and Strong Republican.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Delaware.gov, "Governor Markell Announces Judicial Nominations for Court of Chancery, Family Court," October 13, 2015
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named cong
  8. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting – September 29, 2022," September 29, 2022
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named intent
  10. ↑ American Bar Association, "RATINGS OF ARTICLE III AND ARTICLE IV JUDICIAL NOMINEES 117TH CONGRESS," Last updated July 26, 2022
  11. ↑ Washington Post, "Delaware Senate approves cabinet, court nominees," October 28, 2015
  12. ↑ The seven factors were party registration, donations made to partisan candidates, donations made to political parties, donations received from political parties or bodies with clear political affiliation, participation in political campaigns, the partisanship of the body responsible for appointing the justice, and state trifecta status when the justice joined the court.
  13. ↑ An Indeterminate score indicates that there is either not enough information about the justice’s partisan affiliations or that our research found conflicting partisan affiliations.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Delaware.gov, "Executive Order 16," accessed March 28, 2023
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Matt Meyer Office of the Governor, "Executive Order #7" accessed Oct. 16, 2025
  16. ↑ The Delaware Code Online, "§ 2. Justices of Supreme Court and other State Judges; qualifications; residence; precedence.," accessed March 28, 2023
  17. ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "Judicial Selection: An Interactive Map," accessed March 23, 2023

Political offices
Preceded by
Thomas Ambro 		United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit
2023-Present		 Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
- 		Delaware Supreme Court
2019-2023		 Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
- 		Delaware Court of Chancery
2015-2019		 Succeeded by
-



Delaware courts

Federal courts:

Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Delaware • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Delaware

State courts:

Delaware Supreme Court • Superior Court of Delaware • Delaware Court of Chancery • Delaware Family Court • Delaware Court of Common Pleas • Delaware Justice of the Peace Courts • Delaware Alderman's Courts

State resources:

Courts in Delaware • Delaware judicial elections • Judicial selection in Delaware

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