Wendy Vitter

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Wendy Vitter
Image of Wendy Vitter

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
Tenure

2019 - Present

Years in position

5

Education

Bachelor's

Sam Houston State University, 1982

Law

Tulane University Law School, 1986

Contact

Official website 

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Wendy Vitter is a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. She was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) on January 23, 2018, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 16, 2019, by a vote of 52-45.[1] She received commission on May 29, 2019.[2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana 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.

At the time of her confirmation, Vitter was serving as general counsel of the Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

Vitter was nominated to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana by President Donald Trump (R) on January 23, 2018. She was confirmed by a 52-45 vote of the U.S. Senate on May 16, 2019. To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Wendy Vitter
Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
Progress
Confirmed 478 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: January 23, 2018
ApprovedAABA Rating: Substantial Majority Well Qualified, Minority Not Qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: April 11, 2018
QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: May 24, 2018 (first)/February 7, 2019 (second) 
ApprovedAConfirmed: May 16, 2019
ApprovedAVote: 52-45


Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Vitter on May 16, 2019, on a vote of 52-45.[3] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Vitter confirmation vote (May 16, 2019)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 0 43 3
Ends.png Republican 52 0 0
Grey.png Independent 0 2 0
Total 52 45 3
Change in Senate rules
See also:
Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress
Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
United States federal courts

Vitter 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.[4]

The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[5]

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.[6] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.


Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on Vitter's nomination on April 11, 2018. The committee reported Vitter's nomination out of committee on May 24, 2018, by an 11-10 vote.[7]

The Senate Judiciary Committee favorably reported Vitter's nomination on February 7, 2019.[8] Click here to see how the committee voted. Vitter's nomination was one of 44 that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reported that day.


Nomination

Vitter was nominated to succeed Judge Helen Berrigan, who assumed senior status on August 23, 2016.

At the sine die adjournment of the 115th Congress on January 3, 2019, the Senate returned Vitter's nomination to President Trump.[9] Vitter was one of 51 individuals the president re-nominated on January 23, 2019.[10]

The American Bar Association rated Vitter well qualified by a substantial majority and not qualified by a minority.[11] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Education

Vitter received her undergraduate degree from Sam Houston State University and her J.D. from Tulane University Law School.[1]

Professional career

  • 2019-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
  • 2012-2019: Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans
    • 2013-2019: General counsel
    • 2012-2013: Project director
  • 1992-1993: Associate attorney, Abbott & Meeks Law Firm in New Orleans
  • 1983-1992: Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office
    • 1990-1992: Chief of trials
    • 1989-1990: Deputy chief of trials
    • 1987-1992: Assistant district attorney
    • 1983-1987: Law clerk[12]

About the court

Eastern District of Louisiana
Fifth Circuit
LA-ED.gif
Judgeships
Posts: 12
Judges: 9
Vacancies: 3
Judges
Chief: Nannette Jolivette-Brown
Active judges:
Barry W. Ashe, Nannette Jolivette Brown, Greg Guidry, Brandon Long, Susie Morgan, Darrel Papillion, Jane Triche-Milazzo, Wendy Vitter, Jay Zainey

Senior judges:
Lance Africk, Carl Barbier, Eldon Fallon, Ivan Lemelle, Mary Ann Lemmon, Sarah Vance


The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana is a federal trial court based in New Orleans. It 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 Fifth Circuit, based in New Orleans, at the John Minor Wisdom Federal Courthouse.

The Eastern District of Louisiana has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law. Like all U.S. district courts, the court has original jurisdiction over civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States;[13] certain civil actions between citizens of different states;[14] civil actions within the admiralty or maritime jurisdiction of the United States;[15] criminal prosecutions brought by the United States; and many other types of cases and controversies.[16] It also has appellate jurisdiction over a very limited class of judgments, orders, and decrees.[17]

The geographic jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Louisiana consists of all the following parishes in the eastern part of the state of Louisiana.[18]

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

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The White House, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Tenth Wave of Judicial Nominees," January 23, 2018
  2. ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Vitter, Wendy Baldwin," accessed June 5, 2019
  3. ↑ United States Senate, "Roll Call Vote 116th Congress - 1st Session," accessed May 17, 2019
  4. ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
  5. ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
  6. ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named report
  8. ↑ U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," February 7, 2019
  9. ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days. Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 11, 2017
  10. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Nominations Sent to the Senate," January 23, 2019
  11. ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees: 116th Congress," accessed May 21, 2019
  12. ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Wendy Baldwin Vitter," accessed June 5, 2019
  13. ↑ Legal Information Institute, 28 U.S.C. § 1331
  14. ↑ Legal Information Institute, 28 U.S.C. § 1332
  15. ↑ Legal Information Institute, 28 U.S.C. § 1333
  16. ↑ Legal Information Institute, Title 28, United States Code, Chapter 85
  17. ↑ Under Legal Information Institute, 28 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1), for example, the U.S. district courts are authorized to hear appeals from final judgments, orders, and decrees of U.S. bankruptcy judges.
  18. ↑ Cornell Law School, 28 U.S.C. § 98(a)

Political offices
Preceded by
- 		United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
2019-Present		 Succeeded by
-


Louisiana courts

Federal courts:

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana

State courts:

Louisiana Supreme Court • Louisiana Courts of Appeal • Louisiana District Courts • Louisiana City Courts • Louisiana Family Courts • Louisiana Justice of the Peace Courts • Louisiana Juvenile Courts • Louisiana Mayor’s Courts • Louisiana Municipal Courts • Louisiana Parish Courts • Louisiana Traffic Courts

State resources:

Courts in Louisiana • Louisiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Louisiana

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