The Federal Vacancy Count 8/25/2015
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August 25, 2015
This month's Federal Vacancy Count includes nominations, confirmations and vacancies from July 29, 2015, to August 24, 2015. Nominations, confirmations and vacancies occurring on and after August 25 will be reflected in the September report.
The United States Senate was in recess for most of August, leading to no new confirmations. This allowed the number of federal vacancies to continue to grow for the fourth straight month.
The vacancy warning level remained at blue this month after four new vacancies, nine new nominations and no new confirmations. The vacancy percentage rose to 7.7 percent, and the total number of nominees waiting for confirmation rose to 29. The number of vacancies of Article III judges rose to 67 out of 874. A breakdown of the vacancies at 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 | 8.0% or 54 vacancies |
| International Trade | 9 | 44.4% or 4 vacancies |
| All Judges | 874 | 7.7% or 67 vacancies |
New vacancies
District of Minnesota
Michael James Davis
| Judge Michael James Davis assumed senior status on August 1, 2015.[1] Davis, a judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, was appointed to the court on March 28, 1994, by President Bill Clinton (D). He served as the court's chief judge from 2008 until taking senior status. Davis earned his undergraduate degree from Macalester College in 1969 and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1972. This transition creates the only vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, and the warning level rose from green to yellow. | 
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Middle District of Alabama
Mark Fuller
| Judge Mark Fuller resigned from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama on August 1, 2015. The resignation came after he was arrested in 2014 on allegations of domestic violence.[2] Fuller was appointed to the court by President George W. Bush (R) in 2002 and served as the chief judge from 2004 to 2011. He earned his undergraduate degree and his J.D. from the University of Alabama in 1982 and 1985, respectively. The transition created the second vacancy on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. The vacancy warning level rose from orange to red. | 
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Middle District of Florida
Anne Conway
| Judge Anne Conway assumed senior status on August 1, 2015.[1] Conway is a judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. She joined the court in 1991 after an appointment by President George H.W. Bush (R). She served as chief judge of the court from 2008 until she assumed senior status. Conway earned her undergraduate degree from John Carroll University in 1972 and her J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law in 1975. The transition creates the second vacancy on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the warning level rose from blue to yellow. |
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Southern District of New York
Paul Crotty
| On August 1, 2015, Judge Paul Crotty of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York assumed senior status.[1] Crotty was appointed to the court by President George W. Bush in 2005. Crotty earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1962 and his LL.B. from Cornell Law School in 1967. He also served in the United States Navy Reserve from 1962 to 1968. The transition creates the only vacancy on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and the warning level rose from green to blue. | 
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New confirmations
There were no new confirmations this month.
New nominations
On the district court nominees, President Barack Obama (D) stated:
| “ | Throughout their careers, these nominees have displayed unwavering commitment to justice and integrity. Their records are distinguished and impressive, and I am confident that they will serve the American people well from the United States District Court bench. I am honored to nominate them today.[3][4] | ” |
| —President Barack Obama | ||
On the United States Court of International Trade nominees, Obama stated:
| “ | I am proud to nominate these outstanding candidates to serve on the Court of International Trade. I am confident that they will serve the American people with integrity and distinction.[4] | ” |
| —President Barack Obama, [5] | ||
District of Massachusetts
Inga S. Bernstein
| President Barack Obama nominated Inga S. Bernstein on July 30, 2015, to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Bernstein is currently a partner at the law firm of Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein LLP, where she started as an associate in 1995. Her law career began as a law clerk to the Honorable Douglas Woodlock of the District of Massachusetts. She earned her B.A., graduating magna cum laude, from Wellesly College in 1984 and her J.D., graduating cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1994.[3]
The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts currently has one vacancy, and the warning level is set at blue. |
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Eastern District of New York
Gary R. Brown
| Gary R. Brown was appointed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York by President Barack Obama on July 30, 2015. Brown is currently a federal magistrate judge for the same court. His previous experience includes six years with CA Technologies and 16 years as an assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of New York. He started his career as a law clerk for the Honorable Jacob Mishler of the Eastern District of New York. Brown earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia College and his J.D. from Yale Law School.[3]
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York currently has three vacancies, and the warning level is set at yellow. |
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International Trade
Jennifer Choe Groves
| On July 30, 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Jennifer Choe Groves to be a judge on the United States Court of International Trade. Groves is currently the chief executive officer of Titanium Law Group PLLC and Choe Groves Consulting LLC. Groves has 17 years of experience as an attorney and three years as an assistant district attorney. She earned her A.B. from Princeton University in 1991 and her J.D. from Rutgers School of Law in Newark in 1994. She holds an LL.M. from Columbia Law School, which she earned in 1998.[5]
The United States Court of International Trade currently has four vacancies, and the warning level is set at red. |
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Elizabeth J. Drake
| On July 30, 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Elizabeth J. Drake to be a judge on the United States Court of International Trade. Drake is currently a partner at the law firm of Stewart and Stewart. Prior to joining the law firm, she was an international policy analyst for the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organization (AFL-CIO) for six years. Drake earned her B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1996 and her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1999.[5]
The United States Court of International Trade currently has four vacancies, and the warning level is set at red. |
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Gary Katzmann
| On July 30, 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Gary Katzmann to be a judge on the United States Court of International Trade. Katzmann is currently an associate justice on the Massachusetts Appeals Court. His experience includes 11 years at his current position, 21 years as an assistant United States attorney and two years as a research associate. He began his career as a law clerk to the Honorable Stephen Breyer when Breyer was on the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Katzmann earned his A.B. from Columbia College, his Masters of Literature from Oxford University, an M.P.P.M from the Yale School of Management and a J.D. from Yale Law School.[5]
The United States Court of International Trade currently has four vacancies, and the warning level is set at red. |
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Northern District of Georgia
Dax E. Lopez
| On July 30, 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Dax E. Lopez to be a judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Lopez is currently a judge on the DeKalb County State Court in Georgia. He also has six years of experience as an attorney and was a law clerk for the Honorable Hector Laffitte of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. He earned his undergraduate and J.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1998 and 2001, respectively.[3]
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia currently has one vacancy, and the warning level is set at blue. |
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Western District of Pennsylvania
Susan Baxter
| On July 30, 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Susan Baxter to be a judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Baxter is currently a federal magistrate judge for the same court. Her prior experience includes being a partner at the law firm of Cole, Raywid and Braverman and court solicitor for the Erie County Court of Common Pleas. She earned her B.S. from Pennsylvania State University in 1978 and her J.D. from Temple University School of Law in 1983.[3]
The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania currently has three vacancies, and the warning level is set at orange. |
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Robert J. Colville
| On July 30, 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Robert J. Colville to be a judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Colville is currently a judge for the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. He has served on the court of common pleas for 16 years. His other experience includes five years as an attorney with Pietragallo, Bosick & Gordon and as a law clerk for Justice Ralph J. Cappy. Colville earned his undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1989 and his J.D. from Duquesne University in 1992.[3]
The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania currently has three vacancies, and the warning level is set at orange. |
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Marilyn J. Horan
| On July 30, 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Marilyn J. Horan to be a judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Horan is currently a judge for the Butler County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. She has served as a judge for the court of common pleas for 19 years. She was also an attorney and partner at the law firm of Murrin, Taylor, Flach and Horan from 1979 to 1996. She earned her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University and her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.[3]
The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania currently has three vacancies, and the warning level is set at orange. |
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Monthly map
This 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 1.2 United States Courts, "Current Judicial Vacancies," accessed July 3, 2015
- ↑ Times Free Press.com, "Resigning Alabama federal judge may have faced impeachment," June 1, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 The White House, "President Obama Nominates Seven to Serve on the United States District Courts," July 30, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 The White House, "President Obama Nominates Three to Serve on the United States Court of International Trade," July 30, 2015
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