Nancy Lee Maldonado (born November 28, 1975) is an American lawyer from Chicago who has served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit since 2024. She previously served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois from 2022 to 2024.
Nancy L. Maldonado | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit | |
| Assumed office July 11, 2024 | |
| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Ilana Rovner |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois | |
| In office August 10, 2022 – July 11, 2024 | |
| Appointed by | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Matthew Kennelly |
| Succeeded by | April Perry |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 28, 1975 Skokie, Illinois, U.S. |
| Education | Harvard University (AB) Columbia University (JD) |
Early life and education
editMaldonado was born on November 28, 1975,[1] in Skokie, Illinois.[2] She received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Harvard College in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2001.[3]
Career
editMaldonado previously served as a law clerk for Judge Rubén Castillo of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois from 2001 to 2003. In 2003, she joined the law firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland in Chicago as an associate until 2009 when she was elevated to partner in 2010. She went on to work as partner until 2022 when she was appointed as a district judge.[3]
Federal judicial service
editDistrict court service
editIn December 2021, Maldonado was recommended to the president by Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth.[4] On April 13, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Maldonado[5] to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. On April 25, 2022, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Maldonado to the seat vacated by Judge Matthew Kennelly, who assumed senior status on October 7, 2021.[6] On May 11, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[7] On June 9, 2022, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–9 vote.[8] On July 19, 2022, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 53–41 vote.[9] She was confirmed on the same day by a 53–45 vote.[10] She received her judicial commission on August 10, 2022.[11] She was sworn in on October 3, 2022.[12] She became the first Hispanic woman to serve as a federal judge on the Court for the Northern District of Illinois.[3][13] Her service as a district judge was terminated on July 11, 2024, when she was elevated to the court of appeals.
Court of appeals service
editOn February 21, 2024, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Maldonado to serve as a circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.[14] On February 27, 2024, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Maldonado to the seat being vacated by Judge Ilana Rovner, who announced her intent to assume senior status upon confirmation of a successor.[15] On March 20, 2024, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[16] During her confirmation hearing, she was questioned by Republican senators over her case backlog, as, with 125 motions having been pending for more than six months without a ruling, Maldonado held one of the largest case backlogs of any federal trial court judge in the nation.[17] On April 18, 2024, her nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 party-line vote.[18][19][20] On June 20, 2024, the Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 43–27 vote.[21] On July 8, 2024, her nomination was confirmed by a 47–43 vote, with Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema voting against confirmation.[22] She received her judicial commission on July 11, 2024.[11] She became the first Hispanic judge to serve on the Seventh Circuit.[23]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Voruganti, Harsh (April 28, 2022). "Nancy Maldonado – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois". The Vetting Room. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
- ^ a b c "President Biden Names Sixteenth Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Thomas, David (December 16, 2021). "Democrats recommend judges for Chicago federal court". Reuters. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
- ^ Thomas, David (December 16, 2021). "Democrats recommend judges for Chicago federal court". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ "Nominations and Withdrawals Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. April 25, 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. May 10, 2022.
- ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – June 9, 2022" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Nancy L. Maldonado to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois)". United States Senate. July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
- ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Nancy L. Maldonado, of Illinois, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois)". United States Senate. July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Nancy L. Maldonado at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ "Judge Nancy L. Maldonado Sworn in as District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois" (PDF). ilnd.uscourts.gov (Press release). October 3, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Meisner, Jason (April 13, 2022). "Biden taps Judge John Z. Lee, attorney Nancy Maldonado for federal judgeships in Chicago". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
- ^ "President Biden Names Forty-Sixth Round of Judicial Nominees and Announces Two New Nominees to Serve as U.S. Attorney" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. February 27, 2024.
- ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. March 19, 2024.
- ^ Raymond, Nate. "Senate Republicans grill 7th Circuit nominee on her trial court backlog". Reuters. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – April 18, 2024" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ "Senate Judiciary Committee Advances Ten Nominations to the Full Senate" (Press release). United States Senate Judiciary Committee. April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ Raymond, Nate. "US Senate panel advances 7th Circuit nominee Maldonado". Reuters. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Nancy L. Maldonado to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit)". United States Senate. June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Nancy L. Maldonado, of Illinois, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit)". United States Senate. July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ^ Raymond, Nate. "Biden nominates Chicago judge to be first Hispanic judge on 7th Circuit". Reuters News. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
External links
edit- Nancy L. Maldonado at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.