President Joe Biden (D) nominated three individuals to Article III judgeships on April 29. With the addition of these three, Biden has nominated a total of 13 individuals to Article III judgeships since the start of his term. At the time of this writing, none of Biden’s Article III nominees have been confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
David Estudillo is a nominee to the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Estudillo is currently the presiding judge on the Grant County Superior Court in Washington state. He was appointed to the court in 2015 by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and subsequently won election to the seat in 2016 and 2020. Prior to becoming a judge, he was an attorney in private practice. Estudillo earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington in 1996 and his J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in 1999.
Tana Lin is also a nominee to the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Lin is currently of counsel at the law firm of Keller Rohrback LLP, where she has practiced law in various capacities since 2004. She earned her bachelor’s degree, with distinction, from Cornell University in 1988 and her J.D. from the New York University School of Law in 1991.
Christine O’Hearn is a nominee to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. O’Hearn is currently a partner with the law firm of Brown & Connery LLP, which she joined in 1993. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware in 1990 and her J.D. from the James E. Beasley School of Law at Temple University in 1993.
Biden’s other 10 Article III nominees include:
• Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
• Tiffany Cunningham, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
• Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
• Regina Rodriguez, to the United States District Court for the District of Colorado
• Florence Pan, to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• Deborah Boardman, to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
• Lydia Kay Griggsby, to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
• Julien Xavier Neals, to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Zahid Quraishi, to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
• Margaret Strickland, to the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico
As of April 1, there were 69 Article III vacancies in the federal judiciary of 870 total Article III judgeships. These judges serve on courts authorized by Article III of the Constitution, which created and enumerated the powers of the judiciary. They are appointed for life terms. A vacancy occurs when a judge resigns, retires, takes senior status, or passes away.
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