The Senate Judiciary Committee recommended that Judge Amy Coney Barrett be confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The full Senate is expected to vote to confirm Barrett to the High Court as early as Monday. The next president we elect on Nov. 3 will likely shape the future of the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary for decades to come.
While former Vice President Joe Biden has not disclosed his list of possible Supreme Court picks, President Donald Trump produced a list before the 2016 election and has updated his list throughout his presidency.
Two of his possible future Supreme Court picks have strong Alabama ties.
Kevin Newsom presently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He is a former Alabama solicitor general. Trump lists Newsom as a possible future Supreme Court justice.
Trump also listed Judge Bill Pryor as a possible future Supreme Court picks. Pryor presently also serves on the important U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He is a former Alabama attorney general. Pryor was on Trump’s original list of possible jurists.
The Republican Attorney Generals Association pointed out that 13 current and former Republican AGs and senior staff are currently included on Trump’s SCOTUS short list including Pryor, Newsome and sitting Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s, R-Kentucky, former legal counsel, Cameron had the unique experience of working side by side with the majority leader to help usher over 200 federal judges through the confirmation process, including Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
Other former Republican AGs and senior staff on Trump’s list include:
- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz a sitting United States Senator and former Texas Solicitor General
- Judge Kyle Duncan who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a former Assistant Texas Solicitor General and Louisiana Appellate Chief.
- Judge Allison Eid presently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. She is a former Colorado Solicitor General.
Judge Britt Grant serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He is a former Georgia Solicitor General. - Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) is a United States Senator and former Missouri Attorney General.
- Judge James Ho serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a former Texas Solicitor General.
- Justice Carlos Muniz serves as a Florida Supreme Court Justice. He is a former Florida Deputy Attorney General and Chief of Staff.
- Judge Lawrence VanDyke serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. VanDyke is a former Nevada and Montana Solicitor General.
- Judge Don Willett serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a former Deputy Texas Attorney General.
- Judge Patrick Wyrick serves on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. He is a former Oklahoma Solicitor General.
- Other possible future picks on President Trump’s list include:
- Judge Bridget Bade who serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
- Justice Keith Blackwell who serves on the Georgia Supreme Court.
- Justice Charles Canady from the Florida Supreme Court.
- Judge Steven Colloton from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
- Paul Clement who is a partner with Kirkland & Ellis, LLP.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) is a sitting United States Senator. - Steven Engel who is Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Noel Francisco is a former United States Solicitor General.
- Judge Raymond Gruender who serves on United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
- Judge Thomas Hardiman who serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
- Judge Greg Katsas serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
- Judge Raymond Kethledge who serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
- Judge Barbara Lagoa who serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
- Ambassador Christopher Landau who is the United States Ambassador to Mexico.
- Judge Joan Larsen who serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
- Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) a sitting United States Senator.
- Justice Thomas Lee who serves on the Utah Supreme Court.
- Justice Edward Mansfield who serves on the Iowa Supreme Court.
- Judge Federico Moreno who serves on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Judge Martha Pacold who serves on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. - Judge Peter Phipps serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
- Judge Sarah Pitlyk serves on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
- Judge Allison Jones Rushing who serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
- Judge Margaret Ryan who serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
- Judge David Stras serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
- Judge Diane Sykes serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
- Judge Amul Thapar serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
- Kate Comerford Todd is the Deputy White House Counsel.
- Judge Timothy Tymkovich serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
- Former Justice Robert Young of the Michigan Supreme Court (retired).
Selecting federal judges is one of the longest lasting effects that a president can have on the country.
President George H.W. Bush was elected president in 1988 and served just one term, but his Supreme Court pick, Clarence Thomas, is still serving on the court three decades later. If Trump’s three Supreme Court picks last as long, they could be serving past the middle of this century.
