Susan Bazis
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2024 - Present
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Susan Bazis is a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. She was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden (D) on January 10, 2024, and confirmed by the United States Senate on April 9, 2024, by a vote of 78-21.[1][2][3][4] To see a full list of judges appointed by Joe Biden, click here.
The United States District Court for the District of Nebraska 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.
Prior to joining the court, Bazis was a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.[5]
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the District of Nebraska
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden
On January 10, 2024, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Bazis to the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.[2] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Susan Bazis |
| Court: United States District Court for the District of Nebraska |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 90 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: January 10, 2024
|
| ABA Rating: Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: January 24, 2024
|
| Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: February 29, 2024
|
| Confirmed: April 9, 2024
|
| Vote: 78-21
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Bazis by a vote of 78-21 on April 9, 2024.[3] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Bazis confirmation vote (April 9, 2024) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
48 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
 Republican |
27 | 21 | 0 | ||||||
 Independent |
3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 78[6] | 21 | 1 | ||||||
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Bazis' nomination on January 24, 2024. Bazis was reported to the full Senate on February 29, 2024, after a 18-3 committee vote.[7] Click here for a list of other nominees awaiting a committee vote.
Nomination
On December 19, 2023, President Joe Biden (D) announced his intent to nominate Bazis to the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. The president officially nominated Bazis on January 10, 2024. Click here for a list of other nominees who have been nominated by President Joe Biden.
Bazis was nominated to replace Judge John Gerrard, who assumed senior status on February 6, 2023.[8][5]
The American Bar Association (ABA) rated Bazis well qualified.[9] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Bazis was nominated to replace Judge John Gerrard, who assumed senior status on February 6, 2023.[8][5]
Biography
Education
Bazis earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 1990 and a law degree from Creighton University School of Law in 1993.[4]
Professional career
- 2024-Present: Judge, United States District Court for the District of Nebraska
- 2017-2024: Federal magistrate judge, United States District Court for the District of Nebraska
- 2007-2016: Judge, Douglas County, Nebraska
- 2010-2013: Presiding judge
- 1993-1994, 1996-2007: Private practice, Omaha, Nebraska[4]
About the court
The District of Nebraska has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The jurisdiction of the District of Nebraska consists of all the counties in the state of Nebraska.
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.
Federal magistrate judge
District of Nebraska
Bazis served as a federal magistrate judge with the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska from January 1, 2017, to April 10, 2024.[5]
Elections
2016
Nebraska held retention elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run for retention was August 1, 2016.[10] Susan Bazis was retained in the 4th County Court Judicial District, Nebraska, Seat 4 election with 72.91 percent of the vote. [11]
| 4th County Court Judicial District, Nebraska, Seat 4, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes votes | |
 Susan Bazis | 72.91% | |
| Source: Nebraska Secretary of State, "Unofficial Results: General Election - November 8, 2016: Judicial," accessed November 9, 2016 | ||
2010
- See also: Nebraska judicial elections, 2010
Bazis was retained to the 4th County Court in 2010.[12]
Judicial selection method
- See also: Assisted appointment
Judges of the Nebraska County Courts are each appointed to six-year terms.[13] Judges are re-elected in retention elections. To serve on this court, a judge must be a U.S. citizen, a district resident, 30 years of age or older, and a member of the state bar. They must also have five years of experience in state practice.[14]
2012 judicial performance evaluation
Every two years, the Nebraska State Bar Association compiles responses from lawyers to evaluate judges in the state. Subjects are rated in seven categories, then a determination is made for whether the judge should be retained. The seven categories considered are: legal analysis; impartiality; attentiveness; opinions; judicial temperament and demeanor; appropriate communication; and timeliness.
95.2 percent of respondents stated that Judge Bazis should be retained in office. To read the full evaluation, see: Nebraska State Bar Association, 2012 Evaluation Results.
See also
- United States District Court for the District of Nebraska
- United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
- Courts in Nebraska
- Nebraska County Courts
External links
- United States District Court for the District of Nebraska website
- Nebraska Judicial Branch, "Honorable Susan M. Bazis"
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ The White House, "President Biden Names Forty-Third Round of Judicial Nominees," December 19, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The White House, "Nominations Press Release Attached," January 10, 2024
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Congress.gov, "PN1291 — Susan M. Bazis — The Judiciary," April 9, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Federal Judicial Center, "Bazis, Susan Mason," accessed April 10, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Omaha World-Herald, "Judge, Omaha lawyer to join state’s federal bench," June 17, 2016
- ↑ Note: The bolded number reflects the largest number.
- ↑ The Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 29, 2024," February 29, 2024
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Biography from Federal Judicial Center
- ↑ American Bar Association, "STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY," accessed January 30, 2024
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "2016 Election Calendar," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Judicial Candidate List for retention in office," August 1, 2016
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Judges running for retention"
- ↑ Nebraska Secretary of State, "Sample Ballot," November 2, 2010
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Nebraska; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived October 3, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Gerrard |
United States District Court for the District of Nebraska 2024-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the District of Nebraska 2017-2024 |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioned in 2024 |
John Kazen • John Russell • Margaret Garnett • Cristal Brisco • Jacquelyn Austin • Gretchen Hess Lund • Micah Smith • Joshua Kolar • Karoline Mehalchick • Kirk Sherriff • Lisa Wang • David Leibowitz • Jacqueline Becerra • Julie Sneed • Melissa Damian • Kelly H. Rankin • Nicole Berner • Sunil Harjani • Leon Schydlower • Ernesto Gonzalez • Susan Bazis • Robert White • Ann Marie McIff Allen • Eumi Lee • Krissa Lanham • Eric Schulte • Camela Theeler • Angela Martinez • Jasmine Yoon • Nancy Maldonado • Meredith Vacca • Georgia Alexakis | ||
| Commissioned in 2023 |
Kai Scott • Tamika Montgomery-Reeves • Margaret R. Guzman • Daniel Calabretta • Matthew Garcia • DeAndrea G. Benjamin • Cindy Chung • Adrienne Nelson • Lindsay Jenkins • Gina Méndez-Miró • Araceli Martínez-Olguín • Jamar Walker • Ana Reyes • Jamal Whitehead • Gordon Gallagher • Matthew Brookman• Maria Araujo Kahn• James Simmons • Robert Ballou• Andrew Schopler • Jonathan Grey• Colleen Lawless • Arun Subramanian • Jessica Clarke • Robert Kirsch • Michael Farbiarz • Anthony Johnstone • Orelia Merchant • Wesley Hsu • Bradley Garcia • LaShonda A. Hunt • Nancy Gbana Abudu • Amanda Brailsford • Darrel Papillion • Jeremy Daniel • Hernan D. Vera • Julie Rikelman • Nusrat Choudhury • P. Casey Pitts • Myong Joun • Kymberly Evanson • Tiffany Cartwright • Rachel Bloomekatz • Natasha Merle • Dale Ho • Philip Hadji • Rita Lin • Brendan Hurson • Vernon D. Oliver • Matthew Maddox • Julia Munley • Brandy McMillion • Susan DeClercq • Julia Kobick • Ramon Reyes, Jr. • Ana de Alba • Kenly Kiya Kato • Mónica Ramírez Almadani • Jeffrey M. Bryan • Jamel Semper • Irma Ramirez • Richard Federico • Loren AliKhan • Brandon Long • Jerry Edwards Jr.• Sara Hill • Joseph Laroski | ||
| Commissioned in 2022 | David Herrera Urias • Gabriel Sanchez • Holly Thomas • Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong • David Ruiz • Charles Fleming • Bridget Brennan • Leonard Stark • Alison J. Nathan • John Chun • Julie Rubin • Jacqueline Scott Corley • Ruth Bermudez Montenegro • Victoria Calvert • Georgette Castner • Anne Traum • Cristina Silva • Ketanji Brown Jackson (Supreme Court) • Sarah Geraghty • Hector Gonzalez • Fred Slaughter • Jennifer Rochon • Robert Huie • Sunshine S. Sykes • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Evelyn Padin • Sherilyn P. Garnett • Ana de Alba • J. Michelle Childs • Trina Thompson • Elizabeth Hanes • Nancy Maldonado • Nina Morrison • Gregory Williams • John Z. Lee • Sal Mendoza, Jr. • Lara Montecalvo • Florence Pan • Andre Mathis • Sarah A.L. Merriam • Jennifer Rearden • Roopali Desai • María Antongiorgi-Jordán • Camille Vélez-Rivé • Doris Pryor • Frances Kay Behm • Dana Douglas • Mia Roberts Perez • Anne Nardacci • Jeffery P. Hopkins | ||
| Commissioned in 2021 |
Ketanji Brown Jackson • Zahid Quraishi • Julien Xavier Neals • Deborah Boardman • Regina Rodriguez • Candace Jackson-Akiwumi • Lydia Kay Griggsby • Tiffany Cunningham • Eunice Lee • Angel Kelley • Florence Pan • Veronica Rossman • David G. Estudillo • Sarah A.L. Merriam • Gustavo Gelpí • Christine O'Hearn • Margaret Strickland • Karen McGlashan Williams • Patricia Tolliver Giles • Toby Heytens • Michael Nachmanoff • Sarala Nagala • Beth Robinson • Omar A. Williams • Myrna Pérez • Jia Cobb • Tana Lin • Lauren King • Lucy H. Koh • Jennifer Sung • Samantha Elliott • Katherine Menendez • Mary Dimke • Linda Lopez • Shalina Kumar • Jane Beckering • Jinsook Ohta • Jennifer L. Thurston • Stephen Locher • Charlotte Sweeney • Nina Nin-Yuen Wang • Arianna Freeman • Jerry Blackwell | ||
Federal courts:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Nebraska • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Nebraska
State courts:
Nebraska Supreme Court • Nebraska Court of Appeals • Nebraska District Courts • Nebraska County Courts • Nebraska Separate Juvenile Courts • Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court • Nebraska Problem-Solving Courts
State resources:
Courts in Nebraska • Nebraska judicial elections • Judicial selection in Nebraska
