Philip Halpern

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Philip M. Halpern
Image of Philip M. Halpern

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Tenure

2020 - Present

Years in position

4

Education

Bachelor's

Fordham University, 1977

Law

Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, 1980

Personal
Birthplace
Derby, Conn.


Philip Morgan Halpern is a judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. President Donald Trump (R) nominated Halpern to a seat on this court on November 13, 2018. The U.S. Senate confirmed Halpern on February 12, 2020, by a 77-19 vote.[1][2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is one of 94 U.S. district courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.

Halpern was a managing partner of Collier, Halpern, Newberg & Nolletti LLP from 1995 to 2020.

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (2020-present)

See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

On November 13, 2018, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Halpern to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.[1] The U.S. Senate confirmed Halpern on February 12, 2020, by a 77-19 vote. Home-state senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) voted against the nominee. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) voted in favor of Halpern's confirmation.[2] Halpern received commission on February 21, 2020.[3] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Philip Halpern
Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Progress
Confirmed 456 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: November 13, 2018
ApprovedAABA Rating: Unanimously well qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: October 30, 2019
QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more)
Renom. QFRs: Renom. QFRs
ApprovedAReported: November 21, 2019 
ApprovedAConfirmed: February 12, 2020
ApprovedAVote: 77-19

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Halpern on February 12, 2020, on a vote of 77-19.[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Halpern confirmation vote (February 12, 2020)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 23 19 3
Ends.png Republican 53 0 0
Grey.png Independent 1 0 1
Total 77 19 4
Change in Senate rules
See also:
Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress
Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
United States federal courts

Halpern was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.

On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.[4]

The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[5]

It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[6] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.


Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Halpern had his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on October 30, 2019.[7] The committee voted 17-5 on November 21, 2019, to advance Halpern's nomination to the full Senate.[8]

Nomination

On October 10, 2018, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Halpern to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.[9] The Senate received the nomination November 13, 2018.[1]

At the sine die adjournment of the 115th Congress on January 3, 2019, the Senate returned Halpern's nomination to President Trump.[10] Halpern was one of 51 individuals the president re-nominated on January 23, 2019.[11]

Halpern was nominated to succeed Judge Kevin Castel, who assumed senior status on August 5, 2017.[1]

The American Bar Association unanimously rated Halpern well qualified for the position.[12] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Early life and education

Halpern was born in Derby, Connecticut, in 1956. He obtained a B.S., magna cum laude, in economics from Fordham University in 1977. He earned a J.D. from the Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in 1980.[13][14]

Professional career

Awards and associations

Awards

  • 2017: Legal Services of the Hudson Valley: Access to Justice Honoree
  • 2009: American Diabetes Association: Father of the Year
  • 2007: Westchester County Business Journal: Pace Setter Award
  • 2006: Pace Law School: Alumni Leadership Award[13]

Associations

  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation
  • Fellow, New York Bar Foundation
  • Member, Westchester County Bar Association
  • Member, Office of Court Administration Advisory Committee on Civil Practice
  • Member, Board of Visitors at The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
  • Member, Advisory Council for the Metropolitan Section of the Professional Golfer's Association
  • Member, Executive Board of the Metropolitan Golf Association
  • Life member, The Association of the Bar of the City of New York
  • Former member, Advisory Council for the Board of Judges for the Southern District of New York[13]

About the court

Southern District of New York
Second Circuit
SDNY.gif
Judgeships
Posts: 28
Judges: 27
Vacancies: 1
Judges
Chief: Laura Swain
Active judges: Ronnie Abrams, Vernon Broderick, Valerie Caproni, Andrew L. Carter Jr., Jessica Clarke, John Peter Cronan, Paul A. Engelmayer, Katherine Failla, Jesse Furman, Margaret Garnett, Philip M. Halpern, Dale Ho, Kenneth Karas, John Koeltl, Lewis Liman, James Paul Oetken, Edgardo Ramos, Jennifer Rearden, Jennifer Rochon, Nelson S. Roman, Lorna Schofield, Cathy Seibel, Arun Subramanian, Laura Swain, Analisa Torres, Mary Kay Vyskocil, Gregory Howard Woods

Senior judges:
Richard Berman, Vincent L. Briccetti, Naomi Buchwald, Kevin Castel, Denise Cote, Paul Crotty, George Daniels, Paul Gardephe, Charles Haight, Alvin Hellerstein, Lewis Kaplan, John Keenan, Victor Marrero, Colleen McMahon, Loretta Preska, Jed Rakoff, Louis Stanton, Sidney Stein, Kimba Wood


The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is one of 94 United States district courts. The Southern District is one of the most influential and active federal district courts in the United States, largely because of its jurisdiction over New York's major financial centers. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit based in Lower Manhattan at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Federal Courthouse.

The Southern District of New York has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The court shares geographic jurisdiction over New York City with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, which manages Brooklyn, Queens, and Richmond (Staten Island) counties, along with Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

  • The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
  • The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
  • As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
  • After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
  • If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
  • If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
  • The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
  • If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
  • If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.


See also

External links


Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Congress.gov, "PN2591 — Philip M. Halpern — The Judiciary," accessed November 27, 2018
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Congress.gov, "PN229 — Philip M. Halpern — The Judiciary," accessed February 13, 2020
  3. ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Halpern, Philip Morgan," accessed February 24, 2020
  4. ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
  5. ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
  6. ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
  7. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Nominations," October 30, 2019
  8. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," November 21, 2019
  9. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Eighteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Eighteenth Wave of United States Attorney Nominees, and Thirteenth Wave of United States Marshal Nominees," October 10, 2018
  10. ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days. Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 11, 2017
  11. ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Nominations Sent to the Senate," January 23, 2019
  12. ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed October 30, 2019
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Collier Halpern & Newberg, LLP, "Philip M. Halpern," accessed October 11, 2018
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Philip Morgan Halpern," accessed October 30, 2019

Political offices
Preceded by
- 		United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
2020-Present		 Succeeded by
-


New York courts

Federal courts:

Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York

State courts:

New York Court of Appeals • New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division • New York Supreme Court • New York County Courts • New York City Courts • New York Town and Village Courts • New York Family Courts • New York Surrogates' Courts • New York City Civil Court • New York City Criminal Courts • New York Court of Claims • New York Problem Solving Courts

State resources:

Courts in New York • New York judicial elections • Judicial selection in New York

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