President Donald Trump announced his nominees for several federal judgeships in a press release on Tuesday night.
Trump named his first judicial nominee, Whitney Hermandorfer, last week. Hermandorfer would serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit if confirmed. She is currently the director of the strategic litigation unit in the office of the Tennessee Attorney General.
Trump named five others on Tuesday night to serve in various judgeships. Four of them are for judicial appointments in Missouri, and one is for Washington, D.C.
For the judicial position in the nation’s capital, Trump nominated Edward Aloysius O’Connell for Associate Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Currently, O’Connell is the chief of staff and deputy general counsel of the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, according to the release.
For the judicial positions in Missouri, Trump nominated Cristian M. Stevens, Maria A. Lanahan, Zachary M. Bluestone, and Joshua M. Divine. The nominations were well received by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
Stevens is currently a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was previously an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri and a partner at a law firm in St. Louis, Missouri, according to the release. He was also the first assistant attorney general and deputy attorney general for Missouri attorney general’s office’s crime division. The president nominated Stevens for a judicial position on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Lanahan is currently the principal deputy solicitor general in the Missouri attorney general’s office. She previously was the senior manager and litigation counsel for a communications company and an associate at a law firm, noted the release. Both positions were in St. Louis, Missouri. She earned her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. Lanahan was nominated by the president for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
“Maria has taken on a wide range of important cases during her time in our office and has played a vital role in this office’s success,” said Bailey. “I am confident she will serve with distinction and judgment as a federal judge.”
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Bluestone currently serves as a violent crimes prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri and an appellate chief. He was also the deputy solicitor general in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School, according to the release. Trump also nominated him for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Divine is currently the solicitor general of the state of Missouri and director of special litigation in the Missouri attorney general’s office, the release noted. He previously served as deputy solicitor general within Missouri’s attorney general’s office and on the staff of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) as chief counsel. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School. Trump nominated Divine for a judge position in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Western District of Missouri.
“Josh has been the driving force behind some of the most consequential legal battles this office has ever taken on,” said Bailey. “Whether it was dismantling the Biden Administration’s unlawful student loan bailout or shutting down radical attempts to harm Missouri children, Josh brought precision, grit, and leadership every step of the way. His impact has fundamentally changed the legal landscape in Missouri and across the country.”
Bailey announced he was proud of the nominations and how it was a great moment for the state of Missouri.
“This is a proud moment for our office and the state of Missouri,” said Bailey. “Josh and Maria are two of the finest legal minds in America. Their work has set the gold standard for legal excellence, and their nominations are a testament to the powerhouse team we have built in Missouri.”
He touted his state’s judicial talent and accomplishments.
“Missouri is leading the nation in legal talent, and these nominations prove it,” Bailey added. “If you want to serve in the highest levels of the American legal system, there is no better place to be than the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.”
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
