WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald J. Trump nominated Birmingham’s Kevin Newsom to fill the vacant seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday, making him the latest Alabamian to receive a prestigious appointment from the current administration.
The Eleventh Circuit has jurisdiction over Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and it is currently based in Atlanta, Ga. Of the court’s 12 active judges, four are from the Yellowhammer state. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Newsom will fill the seat of Judge Joel F. Dubina from Montgomery, Ala.
Newsom works as a partner and appellate attorney at the Birmingham firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. Throughout his career, he has argued 35 cases at the federal appellate level and four in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. He also served as Alabama’s Solicitor General for three and a half years. Newsom holds a B.A. from Samford University and a J.D. from Harvard University, and he clerked under U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter for two years.
In addition to his normal legal work, the 45 year-old attorney sits on the Board of Overseers of Samford, and he is a member of both the Federalist Society and the American Law Institute.
Alabama’s senators, who will have the opportunity to vote on Newsom, are both excited about the nomination.
“Kevin Newsom is an exceptional choice for this high honor. I am confident that his strong principles will enable him to apply the law in a fair and just manner,” Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said. “President Trump has made the right decision in selecting Kevin to sit on the Eleventh Circuit, and I believe he will prove to be an asset to our nation’s judicial system as a federal judge.”
Junior Senator Luther Strange (R-Ala.) shared in his colleague’s enthusiasm. “It’s exciting to watch Alabama take such a strong role during the Trump presidency, and the President has certainly made the right choice in nominating Kevin Newsom to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals,” he said. “His experience will help bring common sense to the bench and have a positive impact on our judicial system for years to come.”
Trump has taken to placing top Alabama power players into key positions in his administration. Attorney General Jeff Sessions served as one of Alabama’s U.S. Senators for 20 years, and one of his top aides, Stephen Miller, also now works closely with the president. He also selected Alabamian Stephen Boyd to be the next Assistant Attorney General. Yellowhammer founder and former CEO Cliff Sims works for the president as the White House’s director of message strategy. Earlier this month, Trump announced his selection of Spencer Bachus, former congressman for Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District, to serve out the remainder of a four-year term on the board of the Export-Import Bank.
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