A former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will be President Trump’s nominee to fill an upcoming vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The White House announced on Tuesday Trump’s intent to nominate Justin Walker, but there will be spirited debate over his qualifications to serve on one of the nation’s most influential courts. Last year, the American Bar Association deemed Walker “not qualified” to serve in his current role as a judge in the Western District of Kentucky, citing his lack of trial experience.
Walker was confirmed by the Senate in October with a vote of 50-41.
His appointment indicates Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s influence over the transformation of the federal judiciary under Trump. McConnell reportedly advocated for Walker behind the scenes.
“He has chosen a rising Kentucky star, born and raised in Louisville, to refresh the second most important federal court in the country,” McConnell said in a statement Friday. “The entire country will benefit from having this brilliant, principled, and fair-minded legal expert on this consequential bench.”
Trump has nominated judges to federal appeals courts at breakneck speed in the last three years. Walker is Trump’s third nominee to the D.C. Circuit, though his confirmation would not change the overall composition of the circuit. Seven judges nominated by Democratic presidents remain on the bench compared to four judges appointed by Republicans.
Walker clerked for Kavanaugh while he sat on the D.C. Circuit. He also clerked for former Justice Anthony Kennedy. He was previously a litigator at Dinsmore & Shohl, a law firm headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
