The Federal Vacancy Count 5/27/2015
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May 27, 2015
This month's Federal Vacancy Count includes nominations, confirmations and vacancies from April 29, 2015, to May 26, 2015. Nominations, confirmations and vacancies occurring on and after May 27 will be reflected in the June report.
The federal judiciary had minor changes this month. With a net loss of one judge, the vacancy percentage rose slightly.
The vacancy warning level remained at blue this month after three new vacancies, one new nomination and two new confirmations. The vacancy percentage rose to 6.3 percent, and the total number of nominees waiting for confirmation fell to 16. The number of vacancies of Article III judges rose to 55 out of 874. A breakdown of the vacancies on each level can be found in the table below. For a more detailed look at the vacancies on the federal courts, see our Federal Court Vacancy Warning System.
Vacancies by court
| Court | # of Seats | Vacancies |
| Supreme Court | 9 | 0% or no vacancies |
| Appeals Courts | 179 | 5.0% or 9 vacancies |
| District Courts | 677 | 6.2% or 42 vacancies |
| International Trade | 9 | 44.4% or 4 vacancies |
| All Judges | 874 | 6.3% or 55 vacancies |
New vacancies
Eastern District of New York
Sandra Townes
| On May 1, 2015, Sandra Townes assumed senior status on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Townes joined the court in 2004 after an appointment by President George W. Bush. Townes earned her undergraduate degree from Johnson C. Smith University in 1966 and her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law in 1976. Ann M. Donnelly is currently nominated and awaiting confirmation to fill the vacancy created by Townes.[1]
The transition created the third vacancy on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and the warning level remained at yellow. |
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Eastern District of Texas
Leonard Davis
| Leonard Davis retired from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on May 15, 2015. Davis joined the law firm of Fish & Richardson after retiring from the court.[2] Davis was appointed to the court in 2002 by President George W. Bush. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas in 1970 and his J.D. from Baylor University School of Law in 1976. He also holds a graduate degree from Texas Christian University, which he earned in 1974. Currently, no one is nominated to fill the vacancy created by Davis.
The retirement created the second vacancy on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The vacancy warning level remained at yellow. |
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Northern District of Alabama
Sharon Blackburn
| Sharon Blackburn assumed senior status on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.[1] Blackburn joined the court in 1991 after a nomination from President George H.W. Bush. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama in 1973 and her J.D. from Samford University of Law in 1977. Currently, no one is nominated to fill the vacancy.
The transition created the second vacancy on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The vacancy warning level remained at yellow. |
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New confirmations
District of Utah
| Senator Mike Lee spoke briefly on Parrish's confirmation. |
Jill Parrish
| The United States Senate confirmed Jill Parrish on May 21, 2015, to the United States District Court for the District of Utah on a unanimous vote of 100-0.[3] Parrish leaves the Utah Supreme Court to join the District of Utah as a federal judge. Parrish's confirmation came 245 days after her nomination and fills the vacancy created by Dee Benson, who assumed senior status in 2014.
The confirmation fills one of the two vacancies on the United States District Court for the District of Utah. The vacancy warning level fell from orange to yellow. |
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Southern District of Texas
Rolando Olvera
| Rolando Olvera received confirmation from the United States Senate to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on May 21, 2015, on a vote of 100-0.[4] Olvera leaves the 445th District of Texas to join the Southern District of Texas as a federal judge. His confirmation came 245 days after his nomination and fills a vacancy created by Hilda Tagle, who assumed senior status in 2012.
The confirmation removed one of the three vacancies on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The vacancy warning level remained at yellow. |
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New nominations
Western District of Tennessee
Edward L. Stanton III
| President Barack Obama nominated Edward L. Stanton III on May 21, 2015, to the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. Stanton is currently a United States attorney for the same district to which he was nominated. His other experience includes eight years as senior counsel for FedEx, a year as an associate for Armstrong Allen PPLC, a year as an assistant city attorney and three years as an associate for the law offices of Charles E. Carpenter, P.C. Stanton earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Memphis in 1994 and 1997, respectively. Stanton was nominated to fill the future vacancy of Samuel Mays, who plans to take senior status on July 1, 2015.[5]
The United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee currently has no vacancies, and the warning level is set at green. |
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Monthly map
The monthly map is updated every month and posted here and on the Federal Court Vacancy Warning System analysis page.
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 United States Courts, "Current Judicial Vacancies," accessed May 1, 2015
- ↑ Tyler Morning Telegraph, "Former chief judge to join patent law firm," March 30, 2015
- ↑ United States Senate, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Jill N. Parrish, of Utah, to be United States District Judge)," accessed May 22, 2015
- ↑ United States Senate, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Jose Rolando Olvera, Jr., of Texas, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas)," accessed May 22, 2015
- ↑ The White House, "President Obama Nominates Edward L. Stanton III to Serve on the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee," May 21, 2015
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