The Federal Vacancy Count 8/6/2014
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August 6, 2014
This week's The Federal Vacancy Count includes nominations, confirmations and vacancies from July 29, 2014, to August 5, 2014. Nominations, confirmations and vacancies occurring on August 6th will be reflected in the August 13th report.
Wilfred Feinberg passed away at the age of 94 this week after spending over half his life serving on the federal bench. Also this week, President Barack Obama nominated four to be federal judges, despite the Congress beginning their five week fall recess, and the Western District of Virginia saw Samuel Wilson retire from the bench to teach in Taiwan.
The vacancy warning level remained at blue this week after one new vacancy and no new confirmations. The vacancy percentage rose to 6.5%. There were four new nominations this week, which allowed the total number of nominees waiting for confirmation to rise to 27. The number of vacancies of Article III judges rose to 57 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 | 4.5% or 8 vacancies |
| District Courts | 677 | 7.1% or 48 vacancies |
| International Trade | 9 | 11.1% or 1 vacancy |
| All Judges | 874 | 6.5% or 57 vacancies |
New vacancies
Western District of Virginia
Samuel Wilson
| Judge Samuel Wilson retired from the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia on August 1, 2014. Wilson left the bench to teach at the National Taiwan University after 24 years of service. George H.W. Bush nominated Wilson to the Western District of Virginia in 1990. The transition creates the only vacancy on the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. The vacancy warning level rose from green to yellow. | 
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New confirmations
There were no new confirmations this week.
New nominations
On the nominations of Amit Priyavadan Mehta and Allison Dale Burroughs:
| “ | I am pleased to nominate these distinguished individuals to serve on the United States District Court bench. I am confident they will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.[1] | ” |
| —President Barack Obama[2] | ||
On the nominations of John Robert Blakey and Jorge L. Alonso:
| “ | Throughout their careers, these distinguished individuals have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to public service. I am confident they will serve the American people with distinction from the District Court bench.[1] | ” |
| —President Barack Obama[3] | ||
District of Columbia
Amit Priyavadan Mehta
| President Barack Obama nominated Amit Priyavadan Mehta on July 31, 2014, to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.[2] Mehta is currently a partner at the law firm of Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, where he has worked for 10 years. In addition to his experience at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, he served for five years at the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia and worked as an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP for one year. Mehta was also a law clerk for Judge Susan Graber of the Ninth Circuit. He earned his B.A. from Georgetown University and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1997. If confirmed, Mehta will fill the vacancy created by Ellen Huvelle, who took senior status on June 3, 2014. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia currently has two vacancies. The vacancy warning level is set at yellow. |
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District of Massachusetts
Allison Dale Burroughs
| On July 31, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Allison Dale Burroughs to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.[2] Burroughs is currently a partner at the law firm of Nutter McClennen & Fish, LLP, where she has worked for nine years. Her experience also includes 16 years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts and Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Burroughs began her career as a law clerk for Judge Norma Shapiro for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She earned her B.A., graduating cum laude, from Middlebury College. She earned her J.D., graduating cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1988. If confirmed, she would fill the vacancy of Rya Zobel, who took senior status on April 1, 2014. The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts currently has one vacancy. The vacancy warning level is set at blue. | 
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Northern District of Illinois
John Robert Blakey
| John Robert Blakey received a nomination to the United States District Court for the District of Illinois on August 5, 2014, from President Barack Obama..[3] He is currently the Chief of the Special Prosecutions Bureau for the Cook County State Attorney's Office. Blakey's experience also includes 14 years as an Assistant United States Attorney and four years as Assistant State Attorney. He started his career as a law clerk for Judge William Zloch of the Southern District of Florida. Blakey earned both his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Notre Dame. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois currently has one vacancy, and the warning level is currently set at blue. |
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Jorge L. Alonso
| Jorge L. Alonso received a nomination to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on August 5, 2014, from President Barack Obama.[3] Alonso is currently an associate judge for the Illinois Cook Judicial Circuit Court. Prior to joining the Illinois court in 2003, he was an Assistant Public Defender for Cook County, Illinois. Alonso earned his B.A. from the University of Miami and his J.D. from George Washington University Law School. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois currently has one vacancy, and the warning level is currently set at blue. |
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Passings
Second Circuit
Wilfred Feinberg
| Wilfred Feinberg passed away on July 31, 2014, at the age of 94. Feinberg was serving on senior status on the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit at the time of his death. He spent a total of 53 years on federal courts, starting on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1961 and being elevated to the Second Circuit in 1966. His 1961 nomination came from John F. Kennedy and his 1966 nomination came from Lyndon Johnson. He served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945 in the European Theater of World War II. After returning from war, he attended Columbia University to earn his J.D. in 1946. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Shirley; two daughters, Susan and Jessica; son, Jack; and six grandchildren.[4]
The United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit currently has no vacancies and the warning level is set at green. |
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Weekly map
The weekly map is updated every week and posted here and on the Federal Court Vacancy Warning System analysis page.
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See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The White House, "President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the United States District Courts," July 31, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The White House, "President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the United States District Courts," August 5, 2014
- ↑ New York Times, "Wilfred Feinberg, Federal Appeals Court Judge and Mentor, Dies at 94," August 4, 2014
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