William Kayatta
William Kayatta is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. He joined the court in 2013 after a nomination from President Barack Obama. At the time of his appointment, Kayatta was a partner in the Portland, Maine-based law firm Pierce Atwood LLP.[1][2][3]
On November 15, 2023, Kayatta announced that he would assume senior status upon the commission of his successor.[4]
Early life and education
A native of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Kayatta earned his bachelor's, magna cum laude, from Amherst College in 1976, and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1979.[5][3]
Professional career
- 2013-present: Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
- 1980-2013: Pierce Atwood LLP
- 1986-2013: Partner
- 1980-1985: Associate
- 1979-1980: Law clerk, Hon. Frank M. Coffin, United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit[3]
Judicial career
First Circuit Court of Appeals
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: William Kayatta |
| Court: United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 387 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: January 23, 2012
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: March 14, 2012
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Renom. QFRs: Renom. QFRs |
| Reported: February 7, 2013 (April 19, 2012)
|
| Confirmed: February 13, 2013
|
| Vote: 88-12
|
On January 23, 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Kayatta to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit to fill a seat vacated by Kermit Lipez.[1] Obama commented on the nomination:
| “ | I am proud to nominate these outstanding candidates to serve on the United States Court of Appeals. I am confident Judges Robert E. Bacharach and William J. Kayatta will serve the American people with integrity and distinction.[5][6] | ” |
The American Bar Association rated Kayatta Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination.[7][8]
Kayatta had a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 14, 2012. Kayatta's nomination was returned to President Obama at the end of the 112th Congress. President Obama nominated him again on January 3, 2013, to the United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. Obama commented on this and the other nominations:
| “ | Today, I am re-nominating thirty-three highly qualified candidates for the federal bench, including many who could have and should have been confirmed before the Senate adjourned. Several have been awaiting a vote for more than six months, even though they all enjoy bipartisan support.[2][9][6] | ” |
Kayatta's nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), without hearings, on February 7, 2013. On February 13, 2013, the U.S. Senate confirmed Kayatta on a recorded 88-12 vote. Kayatta received his commission the next day.[3][10]
Awards
- 2011: Chambers USA, 2011 Client Guide, Star Individual in Commercial Litigation (Maine)
- 2010: Howard H. Dana Award, Maine Bar Foundation
- 2001-2011: "Best Lawyers in America," Various Litigation Categories
- 2006: Lawdragon, The Lawdragon 500 Leading Litgators (United States)
- 2003: Giraffe "Champions for Children Award," Maine Children's Alliance
- 2003: Maine Equal Justice Partners' Appreciation Award
- 2001: Special Recognition Award, Disability Rights Center of Maine
- 1978 & 1979: Editor and Officer, Harvard Law Review[11]
Noteworthy cases
Freedom of Information Act request for Planned Parenthood grant documents rightfully denied (2015)
The New Hampshire Right to Life organization filed a request to obtain documents from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") regarding its approval of a 2011 grant to Planned Parenthood for family planning services. HHS claimed that it could find no other provider in the state of New Hampshire to provide these services. In an opinion, Judge Kayatta held that, just because Planned Parenthood had no competition in the state when the grant was made in 2011, it did not follow that the organization has no competition now or will have none in the future. However, the documents New Hampshire Right to Life requested dealt with Planned Parenthood’s commercial dealings and thus contained commercial information. To make these documents public would give Planned Parenthood’s competitors an unfair advantage.
Articles:
See also
External links
- Judge Kayatta's biography from the First Circuit website
- Judge Kayatta's biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The White House, "Presidential nominations sent to the Senate," January 23, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Press Herald, "Judgeship for Kayatta reactivated-President Obama pushes for speedy confirmation of the Cape Elizabeth lawyer whose 1st Circuit seat was frozen by politics," January 4, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Federal Judicial Center, "Biographical directory of federal judges," accessed May 10, 2016
- ↑ United States Courts, "Future Judicial Vacancies," accessed November 15, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 White House, "President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the US Court of Appeals", 1/23/2012
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 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 judicial nominees, 112th Congress," accessed December 24, 2016
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 113th Congress," accessed December 24, 2016
- ↑ The Times-Picayune "President Obama renominates Shelly Dick for federal court in Baton Rouge," January 3, 2013
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 3 - William J. Kayatta Jr. - The Judiciary," accessed May 10, 2016
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questions for Judicial Nominees," accessed November 15, 2013
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit 2013-Present |
Succeeded by Julia Lipez |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominated | |||
Federal courts:
First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Maine • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Maine
State courts:
Maine Supreme Judicial Court • Maine Superior Court • Maine District Courts • Maine Family Division • Maine Small Claims Court • Maine Business and Consumer Court • Maine Probate Courts
State resources:
Courts in Maine • Maine judicial elections • Judicial selection in Maine
