Sarah Pitlyk
2019 - Present
4
Sarah Elizabeth Pitlyk is a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. On September 9, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Pitlyk to a seat on this court. The U.S. Senate confirmed Pitlyk on December 4, 2019, by a 49-44 vote.[1] She received commission on December 5, 2019.[2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri is one of 94 United States district courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the Eastern District of Missouri, click here.
Pitlyk was a special counsel at the Thomas More Society from 2017 to 2019.[3]
Pitlyk was included on President Donald Trump’s (R) list of 20 potential U.S. Supreme Court nominees released on September 9, 2020.[4] President Trump (R) nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the seat on September 26, 2020. For more information on the 2020 Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18, 2020, click here.
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On September 9, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Pitlyk to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The U.S. Senate confirmed Pitlyk on December 4, 2019, by a 49-44 vote.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
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| Nominee Information |
| Name: Sarah Pitlyk |
| Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 86 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: September 9, 2019
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| ABA Rating: Unanimously not qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: September 25, 2019
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| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: October 31, 2019
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| Confirmed: December 4, 2019
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| Vote: 49-44
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Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Pitlyk on December 4, 2019, on a vote of 49-44.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Pitlyk confirmation vote (December 4, 2019) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
0 | 42 | 3 | ||||||
 Republican |
49 | 1 | 3 | ||||||
 Independent |
0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 49 | 44 | 7 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Pitlyk 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.[5]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[6]
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.[7] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Pitlyk had her hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 25, 2019.[8] The committee voted 12-10 on October 31 to advance her nomination to the full Senate.[9]
Nomination
On August 14, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Pitlyk to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.[3] The U.S. Senate officially received the nomination on September 9.[1]
Pitlyk was nominated to succeed Judge Catherine Perry, who assumed senior status December 31, 2018.[1]
Missouri Senators Roy Blunt (R) and Josh Hawley (R) voiced support for the nomination on Twitter.[10][11][12]
Blunt said:
| “ | Today, the White House announced Sarah Pitlyk’s nomination to serve as a US District Court Judge for the Eastern District of MO. She’s an experienced attorney who is dedicated to defending the Constitution. I’m proud to support her nomination & urge my colleagues to do the same.[11][13] | ” |
Hawley said:
| “ | .@realDonaldTrump has nominated Sarah Pitlyk to serve on the District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. She’s a superb choice — an accomplished attorney, a formidable intellect, and a proud mom. Can’t wait to see her before the Judiciary Committee[12][13] | ” |
The American Bar Association unanimously rated Pitlyk not qualified for the position.[14] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
The chairman of the ABA's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, William Hubbard, wrote in a statement to Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that the committee thought Pitlyk did "not have the requisite trial or litigation experience or its equivalent" for the position.[15]
During her committee hearing on September 25, 2019, Sen. Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned the rating. He said the ABA would have provided a qualified or well qualified rating if Pitlyk "had been advocating or representing clients who advocated more traditionally liberal positions."[16]
Early life and education
Pitlyk was born in 1977 in Indianapolis, Indiana. She earned her B.A., summa cum laude, in philosophy from Boston College in 1999. In 2001, she received an M.A., magna cum laude, in applied ethics from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, where she studied as a Fulbright Scholar. She also received an M.A. in philosophy from Georgetown University in 2006. Pitlyk earned her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2008.[17]
Professional career
- 2019-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- 2017-2019: Special counsel, Thomas More Society
- 2013-2016: Associate, Clark & Sauer LLC
- 2011-2012: Associate, Covington & Burling LLP
- 2010-2011: Law clerk to Judge Brett Kavanaugh, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- 2008-2010: Associate, Covington & Burling LLP[17]
Associations
- Missouri Bar Association
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- St. Louis Lawyers for Life
- American Bar Association
- The Federalist Society[17]
Possible Donald Trump nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court
2020
- See also: Supreme Court vacancy, 2020
On September 18, 2020, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, leaving a vacancy on the Supreme Court. The following day, President Donald Trump (R) said he would nominate a woman to replace Ginsburg.[18] On September 26, 2020, President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy.[19]
Pitlyk was among the women President Trump had previously identified as a potential Supreme Court nominee before nominating Amy Coney Barrett. President Trump released four lists of potential U.S. Supreme Court nominees; two in 2016, one in 2017, and one in 2020. Click here for more information on the vacancy and nomination process.
About the court
| Eastern District of Missouri |
|---|
| Eighth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 9 |
| Judges: 7 |
| Vacancies: 3 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Stephen Clark |
| Active judges: Henry Autrey, Stephen Clark, Sarah Pitlyk, Matthew Schelp, Ronnie L. White, Brian C. Wimes Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri is one of 94 United States district courts. The district operates out of courthouses in Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, and Hannibal, Missouri. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, based in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, at the Thomas F. Eagleton Federal Courthouse and Building.
The Eastern District of Missouri has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The geographic jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Missouri consists of all the following counties in the eastern part of the state of Missouri.
There are three court divisions, each covering the following counties:
The Eastern Division, covering Crawford, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Iron, Jefferson, Lincoln, Maries, Phelps, Saint Charles, Saint Francois, Sainte Genevieve, Saint Louis, Warren, and Washington counties, as well as the City of St. Louis.
The Northern Division, covering Adair, Audrain, Chariton, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, and Shelby counties.
The Southeastern Division, covering Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, and Wayne counties.
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
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
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- Thomas More Society profile page
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Congress.gov, "PN1056 — Sarah E. Pitlyk — The Judiciary," accessed September 11, 2019
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Pitlyk, Sarah Elizabeth," accessed December 9, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees, United States Attorney Nominees, and United States Marshal Nominees," August 14, 2019
- ↑ White House, "Additions to President Donald J. Trump’s Supreme Court List," September 9, 2020
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑ Committee, "Nominations," September 25, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of the Executive Business Meeting," October 31, 2019
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Trump to nominate anti-abortion, religious rights lawyer for next federal judgeship in St. Louis," August 15, 2019
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Twitter.com, "Senator Roy Blunt," August 14, 2019
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Twitter.com, "Josh Hawley," August 14, 2019
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed September 25, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Written statement re: Nomination of Sarah E. Pitlyk to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri," September 24, 2019
- ↑ Law360, "GOP Sens. Want To Ignore ABA On Judicial Nominations," September 25, 2019
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Sarah Elizabeth Pitlyk," accessed September 25, 2019
- ↑ The Hill, "Trump expects to nominate woman to replace Ginsburg next week," September 19, 2020
- ↑ ‘’CNN’’, “Trump to announce Supreme Court nominee,” September 26, 2020
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
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| 2018 |
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| 2019 |
Eric Miller • Chad Readler • Eric Murphy • Neomi Rao • Paul Matey • Allison Jones Rushing • Bridget S. Bade • Roy Altman • Patrick Wyrick • Holly Brady • David Morales • Andrew Brasher • J. Campbell Barker • Rodolfo Ruiz • Daniel Domenico • Michael Truncale • Michael Park • Joseph Bianco • Raúl Arias-Marxuach • Daniel Collins • Joshua Wolson • Wendy Vitter • Kenneth Kiyul Lee • Kenneth Bell • Stephen Clark • Howard Nielson • Rodney Smith • Jean-Paul Boulee • Sarah Daggett Morrison • Rossie Alston • Pamela A. Barker • Corey Maze • Greg Guidry • Matthew Kacsmaryk • Allen Winsor • Carl Nichols • James Cain, Jr. • Tom Barber • J. Nicholas Ranjan • Clifton L. Corker • Peter Phipps • Daniel Bress • Damon Leichty • Wendy W. Berger • Peter Welte • Michael Liburdi • William Shaw Stickman • Mark Pittman • Karin J. Immergut • Jason Pulliam • Brantley Starr • Brian Buescher • James Wesley Hendrix • Timothy Reif • Martha Pacold • Sean Jordan • Mary Rowland • John M. Younge • Jeff Brown • Ada Brown • Steven Grimberg • Stephanie A. Gallagher • Steven Seeger • Stephanie Haines • Mary McElroy • David J. Novak • Frank W. Volk • Charles Eskridge • Rachel Kovner • Justin Walker • T. Kent Wetherell • Danielle Hunsaker • Lee Rudofsky • Jennifer Philpott Wilson • William Nardini • Steven Menashi • Robert J. Luck • Eric Komitee • Douglas Cole • John Sinatra • Sarah Pitlyk • Barbara Lagoa • Richard Myers II • Sherri Lydon • Patrick Bumatay • R. Austin Huffaker • Miller Baker • Anuraag Singhal • Karen Marston • Jodi Dishman • Mary Kay Vyskocil • Matthew McFarland • John Gallagher • Bernard Jones • Kea Riggs • Robert J. Colville • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Gary R. Brown • David Barlow • Lewis Liman | ||
| 2020 |
Lawrence VanDyke • Daniel Traynor • John Kness • Joshua Kindred • Philip Halpern • Silvia Carreno-Coll • Scott Rash • John Heil • Anna Manasco • John L. Badalamenti • Drew Tipton • Andrew Brasher • Cory Wilson • Scott Hardy • David Joseph • Matthew Schelp • John Cronan • Justin Walker • Brett H. Ludwig • Christy Wiegand • Thomas Cullen • Diane Gujarati • Stanley Blumenfeld • Mark Scarsi • John Holcomb • Stephen P. McGlynn • Todd Robinson • Hala Jarbou • David Dugan • Iain D. Johnston • Franklin U. Valderrama • John Hinderaker • Roderick Young • Michael Newman • Aileen Cannon • James Knepp • Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson • Toby Crouse • Philip Calabrese • Taylor McNeel • Thomas Kirsch • Stephen Vaden • Katherine Crytzer • Fernando Aenlle-Rocha • Charles Atchley • Joseph Dawson | ||
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri
State courts:
Missouri Supreme Court • Missouri Court of Appeals • Missouri Circuit Courts • Missouri Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Missouri • Missouri judicial elections • Judicial selection in Missouri
