This evening the Senate confirmed Bernice Donald to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals by a vote of 96-2, with Senators Vitter (R-LA) and DeMint (R-SC) voting no. Judge Donald was previously a United States District Judge in the Western District of Tennessee. She has been a federal judge for more than 20 years, and has almost 30 years of judicial experience. She was elected to her first judicial position as a judge in the criminal division of the Court of General Sessions in Shelby County in 1982, making her the first female African-American judge in Tennessee history. She also became the nation’s first female African-American bankruptcy judge in 1988.
Judge Donald is the first circuit court nominee to be confirmed in 4 months. There are now 19 nominees awaiting confirmation on the Senate floor.
For the most up-to-date and comprehensive information on judicial nominations, visit the Judicial Selection Project webpage.
