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Thomas Cullen (Virginia)
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2020 - Present
5
Thomas T. Cullen is a judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. He was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) on February 4, 2020, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 10, 2020, by a 79-19 vote. To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia 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.
Cullen was the United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia from 2018 to 2020.
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia (2020-present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On February 4, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Cullen as an Article III judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. The U.S. Senate confirmed Cullen by a 79-19 vote on September 10, 2020.[1] He received commission on September 15, 2020.[2] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
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| Nominee Information |
| Name: Thomas T. Cullen |
| Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 219 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: February 4, 2020
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously well qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: March 4, 2020
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: May 14, 2020
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| Confirmed: September 10, 2020
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| Vote: 79-19
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Cullen on September 10, 2020, by a vote of 79-19.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Cullen confirmation vote (September 10, 2020) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
25 | 18 | 2 | ||||||
 Republican |
53 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
 Independent |
1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 79 | 19 | 2 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Cullen was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.
On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.[3]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[4]
It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[5] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Cullen had his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 4, 2020.[6] The committee voted 17-5 to advance Cullen's nomination on May 14.[7]
Nomination
On February 4, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Cullen to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.[8] He was nominated to replace Judge Glen Conrad, who assumed senior status on December 11, 2017.[9]
The American Bar Association unanimously rated Cullen well qualified for the position.[10] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Early life and education
Cullen was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1977. He earned a bachelor's degree, cum laude, from Furman University in 2000 and a J.D. from William and Mary Law School, where he was Order of the Coif, in 2004.[11]
Professional career
- 2020-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- 2018-2020: United States attorney, Western District of Virginia.
- 2013-2018: Principal/partner, Woods Rogers PLC
- 2010-2013: Assistant U.S. attorney, deputy criminal chief, Office of the U.S. Attorney in Virginia
- 2006-2010: Assistant U.S. attorney Office of the U.S. Attorney in North Carolina
- 2005-2006: Law clerk to Judge Roger Gregory, United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
- 2004-2005: Law clerk to Judge Robert Payne, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia[11]
Awards and associations
Awards
Cullen received special commendations and recognitions for contributions as an assistant U.S. attorney from the following organizations:
- 2013: U.S. Secret Service
- 2010: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Probation, and the Iredell County Sheriff's Office[11]
Associations
- The Federalist Society
- Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Republican National Lawyers Association
- Roanoke Bar Association
- Virginia Bar Association[11]
About the court
| Western District of Virginia |
|---|
| Fourth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 4 |
| Judges: 4 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Elizabeth K. Dillon |
| Active judges: Robert S. Ballou, Thomas T. Cullen, Elizabeth K. Dillon, Jasmine Yoon Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia is one of 94 United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit based in downtown Richmond, Virginia at the Lewis F. Powell Federal Courthouse.
The Western District of Virginia has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
There are seven court divisions, each covering the following counties and cities:
The Abingdon Division, covering Buchanan, Russell, Smyth, Tazewell and Washington counties, in addition to the cities of Bristol.
The Big Stone Gap Division, covering Dickenson, Lee, Scott and Wise counties, in addition to the cities of Norton.
The Charlottesville Division, covering Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange and Rappahannock counties, in addition to the cities of Charlottesville.
The Danville Division, covering Charlotte, Halifax, Henry, Patrick and Pittsylvania counties, in addition to the cities of Danville, Martinsville and South Boston.
The Harrisonburg Division, covering Augusta, Bath, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham and Shenandoah and Warren counties, in addition to the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester.
The Lynchburg Division, covering Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Buckingham, Campbell, Cumberland and Rockbridge counties, in addition to the cities of Bedford, Buena Vista, Lexington and Lynchburg.
The Roanoke Division, covering Alleghany, Bland, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, and Wythe counties, in addition to the cities of Clifton Forge, Covington, Galax, Radford, Roanoke and Salem.
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 Western District of Virginia
- United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Congress.gov, "PN1431 — Thomas T. Cullen — The Judiciary," accessed September 11, 2020
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Cullen, Thomas Tullidge," accessed September 16, 2020
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Nominations," accessed March 4, 2020
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of the Executive Business Meeting," May 14, 2020
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedsenate - ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees and United States Marshal Nominees," December 18, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed March 4, 2020
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees," accessed March 4, 2020
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Glen Conrad |
Western District of Virginia 2020 – Present Seat #2 |
Succeeded by: NA
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|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
Thomas Parker • Elizabeth Branch • Neil Gorsuch • Amul Thapar • David C. Nye • John K. Bush • Kevin Newsom • Timothy J. Kelly • Ralph Erickson • Scott Palk • Trevor McFadden • Joan Larsen • Amy Coney Barrett • Allison Eid • Stephanos Bibas • Donald Coggins Jr. • Dabney Friedrich • Greg Katsas • Steven Grasz • Don Willett • James Ho • William L. Campbell Jr. • David Stras • Tilman E. Self III • Karen Gren Scholer • Terry A. Doughty • Claria Horn Boom • John Broomes • Rebecca Grady Jennings • Kyle Duncan • Kurt Engelhardt • Michael B. Brennan • Joel Carson • Robert Wier • Fernando Rodriguez Jr. • Annemarie Carney Axon • | ||
| 2018 |
Andrew Oldham • Amy St. Eve • Michael Scudder • John Nalbandian • Mark Bennett • Andrew Oldham • Britt Grant • Colm Connolly • Maryellen Noreika • Jill Otake • Jeffrey Beaverstock • Emily Coody Marks • Holly Lou Teeter • Julius Richardson • Charles B. Goodwin • Barry Ashe • Stan Baker • A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. • Terry F. Moorer • Susan Baxter • William Jung • Alan Albright • Dominic Lanza • Eric Tostrud • Charles Williams • Nancy E. Brasel • James Sweeney • Kari A. Dooley • Marilyn J. Horan • Robert Summerhays • Brett Kavanaugh • David Porter • Liles Burke • Michael Juneau • Peter Phipps • Lance Walker • Richard Sullivan • Eli Richardson • Ryan Nelson • Chad F. Kenney, Sr. • Susan Brnovich • William M. Ray, II • Jeremy Kernodle • Thomas Kleeh • J.P. Hanlon • Mark Norris • Jonathan Kobes • Michael Brown • David Counts | ||
| 2019 |
Eric Miller • Chad Readler • Eric Murphy • Neomi Rao • Paul Matey • Allison Jones Rushing • Bridget S. Bade • Roy Altman • Patrick Wyrick • Holly Brady • David Morales • Andrew Brasher • J. Campbell Barker • Rodolfo Ruiz • Daniel Domenico • Michael Truncale • Michael Park • Joseph Bianco • Raúl Arias-Marxuach • Daniel Collins • Joshua Wolson • Wendy Vitter • Kenneth Kiyul Lee • Kenneth Bell • Stephen Clark • Howard Nielson • Rodney Smith • Jean-Paul Boulee • Sarah Daggett Morrison • Rossie Alston • Pamela A. Barker • Corey Maze • Greg Guidry • Matthew Kacsmaryk • Allen Winsor • Carl Nichols • James Cain, Jr. • Tom Barber • J. Nicholas Ranjan • Clifton L. Corker • Peter Phipps • Daniel Bress • Damon Leichty • Wendy W. Berger • Peter Welte • Michael Liburdi • William Shaw Stickman • Mark Pittman • Karin J. Immergut • Jason Pulliam • Brantley Starr • Brian Buescher • James Wesley Hendrix • Timothy Reif • Martha Pacold • Sean Jordan • Mary Rowland • John M. Younge • Jeff Brown • Ada Brown • Steven Grimberg • Stephanie A. Gallagher • Steven Seeger • Stephanie Haines • Mary McElroy • David J. Novak • Frank W. Volk • Charles Eskridge • Rachel Kovner • Justin Walker • T. Kent Wetherell • Danielle Hunsaker • Lee Rudofsky • Jennifer Philpott Wilson • William Nardini • Steven Menashi • Robert J. Luck • Eric Komitee • Douglas Cole • John Sinatra • Sarah Pitlyk • Barbara Lagoa • Richard Myers II • Sherri Lydon • Patrick Bumatay • R. Austin Huffaker • Miller Baker • Anuraag Singhal • Karen Marston • Jodi Dishman • Mary Kay Vyskocil • Matthew McFarland • John Gallagher • Bernard Jones • Kea Riggs • Robert J. Colville • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Gary R. Brown • David Barlow • Lewis Liman | ||
| 2020 |
Lawrence VanDyke • Daniel Traynor • John Kness • Joshua Kindred • Philip Halpern • Silvia Carreno-Coll • Scott Rash • John Heil • Anna Manasco • John L. Badalamenti • Drew Tipton • Andrew Brasher • Cory Wilson • Scott Hardy • David Joseph • Matthew Schelp • John Cronan • Justin Walker • Brett H. Ludwig • Christy Wiegand • Thomas Cullen • Diane Gujarati • Stanley Blumenfeld • Mark Scarsi • John Holcomb • Stephen P. McGlynn • Todd Robinson • Hala Jarbou • David Dugan • Iain D. Johnston • Franklin U. Valderrama • John Hinderaker • Roderick Young • Michael Newman • Aileen Cannon • James Knepp • Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson • Toby Crouse • Philip Calabrese • Taylor McNeel • Thomas Kirsch • Stephen Vaden • Katherine Crytzer • Fernando Aenlle-Rocha • Charles Atchley • Joseph Dawson | ||
| 2025 |
Whitney Hermandorfer • Joshua Divine • Cristian M. Stevens • Zachary Bluestone • Emil Bove • Edward Artau • Kyle Dudek | ||
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia
State courts:
Virginia Supreme Court • Virginia Court of Appeals • Virginia Circuit Courts • Virginia District Courts • Virginia Magistrates
State resources:
Courts in Virginia • Virginia judicial elections • Judicial selection in Virginia
