Election law changes? Our legislation tracker’s got you.Check it out!

Allison Eid

From Ballotpedia
Allison Eid
United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
Tenure
2017 - Present
Years in position
8
Predecessor:Neil Gorsuch
Education
Bachelor's
Stanford University, 1987
Law
University of Chicago Law School, 1991
Personal
Birthplace
Seattle, WA


Allison Hartwell Eid is a judge on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. She was nominated to the court by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on June 7, 2017, and confirmed by theU.S. Senate on November 2, 2017, by a vote of 56-41.[1] To see a full list of judges appointed byDonald Trump,click here.

TheUnited States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit is one of 13U.S. courts of appeal. They are the intermediateappellate courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the 10th Circuit Court,click here.

Eid was included on PresidentDonald Trump’s (R) June 2018 list of 25 potentialSupreme Court nominees to replace JusticeAnthony Kennedy on the court.[2][3] She was also on the short list to potentially replace JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg in September 2020.[4]

Prior to her service on theTenth Circuit, Judge Eid was a justice on theColorado Supreme Court. She was the 95th justice to serve on the court, serving from 2006 to 2017.[5] Eid was appointed to the court by Republican Governor Bill Owens on February 15, 2006, to succeed JusticeRebecca Kourlis, who retired. She wasretained by voters inNovember 2008.

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit (2017-present)

See also:Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

Eid was nominated to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on June 7, 2017. TheU.S. Senate confirmed Eid on November 2, 2017, by a vote of 56-41.[6] She received commission the next day.[5]To read more about the federal nomination process,click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Allison H. Eid
Court:United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
Progress
Confirmed 148 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: June 7, 2017
ApprovedAABA Rating:Substantial Majority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified
Questionnaire:Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: September 20, 2017
QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: October 26, 2017 
ApprovedAConfirmed: November 2, 2017
ApprovedAVote: 56-41

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Eid on November 2, 2017, on a vote of 56-41.[7]To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website,click here.

Allison Eid confirmation vote (November 2, 2017)
PartyYeaNayNo vote
Electiondot.pngDemocratic4393
Ends.pngRepublican5200
Grey.png Independent020
Total56413

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Eid had her hearing before theSenate Judiciary Committee on September 20, 2017. The committee voted to advance Eid's nomination to the full Senate on October 26, 2017.[8]

Nomination

Eid was nominated to replace JudgeNeil Gorsuch, who was nominated to theSupreme Court on January 31, 2017.

TheAmerican Bar Association rated EidSubstantial Majority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified for the position.[9] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.

Colorado Supreme Court (2006-2017)

Eid was a justice on theColorado Supreme Court. She was the 95th justice to serve on the court, serving from 2006 to 2017.[5] Eid was appointed to the court by Republican Governor Bill Owens on February 15, 2006, to succeed JusticeRebecca Kourlis, who retired. She wasretained by voters inNovember 2008.

Elections

2008

Colorado Supreme Court, Associate Justice
2008 General election results
CandidatesVotesPercent
Allison EidGreen check mark transparent.png1,338,57174.6%
Against retention456,33725.4%

Early life and education

A native ofSeattle, Washington, Eid received her bachelor's degree in American studies with distinction from Stanford University in 1987. She received herJ.D. with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School in 1991. She was inducted into the Order of the Coif, a legal scholastic honor society. During a period of her legal studies, she served as articles editor of theUniversity of Chicago Law Review.[5]

Professional career

Possible Donald Trump nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court

2020

See also:Supreme Court vacancy, 2020

On September 18, 2020, JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg died, leaving a vacancy on the Supreme Court. The following day, PresidentDonald Trump (R) said he would nominate a woman to replace Ginsburg.[11] On September 26, 2020, President Trump nominatedAmy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy.[12]

Eid was among the women President Trump had previously identified as a potential Supreme Court nominee before nominatingAmy Coney Barrett. President Trump released four lists of potential U.S. Supreme Court nominees; twoin 2016, onein 2017, and onein 2020. Clickhere for more information on the vacancy and nomination process.

2018

See also:Possible nominees to replace Anthony Kennedy on the United States Supreme Court andProcess to fill the vacated seat of Justice Antonin Scalia

Eid was listed by PresidentDonald Trump (R) as a potential Supreme Court nominee to replace JusticeAnthony Kennedy. Kennedy announced he would retire from the court effective July 31, 2018.[13]

2017

On November 17, 2017, Eid was included in a third list of individuals from which PresidentDonald Trump would choose to fill vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court.

A White House statement announcing the nominees stated,[14]

One year ago, President Donald J. Trump was elected to restore the rule of law and to Make the Judiciary Great Again. Following the successful confirmation of Justice Neil M. Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States and the nomination of more than seventy Federal judges—including five individuals from his Supreme Court list—President Trump today announced that he is refreshing his Supreme Court list with five additional judges. President Trump will choose a nominee for a future Supreme Court vacancy, should one arise, from this updated list of 25 individuals. The President remains deeply committed to identifying and selecting outstanding jurists in the mold of Justice Gorsuch. These additions, like those on the original list released more than a year ago, were selected with input from respected conservative leaders.[15]

Remarking on Eid's inclusion in the list of possibleTrump nominees,Colorado Peak Politics, a self-declared conservative blog, praised Eid, saying:

Eid has consistently stood up for school choice reform, small government and taxpayers against fellow justices who are known for their political activism. That kind of experience builds character and a strong backbone – qualities that Scalia had an abundance of and would be great to see in his replacement.[16][15]

Noteworthy cases

University may not prohibit concealed weapons on campus

In an opinion authored by Justice Eid, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the Colorado Concealed Carry Act (CCA) prevented University of Colorado officials from banning handguns on campus. The Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, LLC had filed suit against the Board of Regents of the University of Colorado and other officials, challenging a policy that prohibited anyone other than law enforcement officials from carrying handguns on campus. The students claimed that the policy violated the Colorado Concealed Carry Act and the right to bear arms under the Colorado Constitution.[17]

The trial court dismissed the students' claims, but the Colorado Court of Appeals revived the case. On appeal, Justice Eid said that the CCA allowed permitted handgun owners “to carry a concealed handgun in all areas of the state, except as specifically limited.” Although the CCA prohibited permit holders from carrying handguns onto elementary, middle, or high school property, the act did not specifically exempt University of Colorado property. Justice Eid concluded that because the university was not specifically excluded from the CCA, the legislature did not intend to exempt the university from the CCA's coverage. She wrote that "the CCA’s comprehensive statewide purpose, broad language, and narrow exclusions show that the General Assembly intended to divest the Board of Regents of its authority to regulate concealed handgun possession on campus." Because the court based its ruling on the CCA, it did not consider the students' claims under the Colorado Constitution.[17]

Performance evaluations

The Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation voted unanimously to recommend Eid for retention in 2008. The COJPE asks a variety of questions to determine the judge's performance and reviews the answers of attorneys and district judges. The score is based on a four-point scale, similar to school grades, where 4 is the highest and 1 is the lowest. Since 1990, which was the first election year after the statutory creation of judicial performance commissions and the use of performance evaluations, all Colorado Supreme Court justices and court of appeals judges standing for retention have been recommended for retention. No justice or judge has received a recommendation for non-retention.[18]

Question classificationAttorney scoreDistrict Judge scoreCombined average
Impartiality3.63.73.65
Clear opinions3.63.73.65
Adequate explanation of opinion3.73.63.65
Timely response3.33.63.45
Response without criticism3.73.83.75
Response based on law3.53.63.55
Not ruling on extra issues3.73.63.65
Respect towards all parties3.93.93.9
No ex parte communications3.93.93.9
Overall3.563.713.64

[19]

About the court

Tenth Circuit
Court of Appeals
US-CourtOfAppeals-10thCircuit-Seal.png
Judgeships
Posts: 12
Judges: 12
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief:Jerome Holmes
Active judges:Robert Bacharach,Joel Carson,Allison Eid,Richard Federico,Harris Hartz,Jerome Holmes,Scott Matheson,Carolyn McHugh,Nancy Moritz,Gregory Alan Phillips,Veronica Rossman,Timothy Tymkovich

Senior judges:
Stephen Anderson,Bobby Baldock,Mary Briscoe,Wade Brorby,David Ebel,Paul Kelly,Carlos F. Lucero,Michael R. Murphy,Terrence O'Brien,John Porfilio,Stephanie Seymour


TheUnited States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is afederal appellate court with appellatejurisdiction. It hears appeals from all of the circuit courts within its jurisdiction and its rulings may be appealed to theSupreme Court of the United States. Appeals are heard in the Byron White U.S. Courthouse inDenver.

One judge from the Tenth Circuit has served on theSupreme Court of the United States.Neil Gorsuch was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2017 byDonald Trump (R).

Map of the Tenth Circuit. Click on a district to find out more about it.


The 10th Circuit hasappellate jurisdiction over cases heard in one of its subsidiary districts. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law. Appeals of rulings by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals are petitioned to theSupreme Court of the United States. JusticeSonia Sotomayor is thecircuit justice for the 10th Circuit.

The United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit hasjurisdiction over the United States district courts in the following federal judicial districts:

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 theSenate 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 ablue 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. United States Congress, "PN 585 — Allison H. Eid — The Judiciary," accessed November 28, 2017
  2. CBS News, "Trump says Justice Kennedy's replacement will come from list of 25," June 27, 2018
  3. FindLaw, "Trump Revises His Supreme Court Picks," September 26, 2016
  4. The Olympian, "Trump spoke with Supreme Court candidates and may meet one in Miami," September 21, 2020
  5. 5.05.15.25.35.4Colorado Judicial Branch, "Allison H. Eid," accessed August 10, 2016
  6. United States Congress, "PN 585 — Allison H. Eid — The Judiciary," accessed November 28, 2017
  7. United States Congress, "PN 585 — Allison H. Eid — The Judiciary," accessed November 28, 2017
  8. United States Congress, "PN 585 — Allison H. Eid — The Judiciary," accessed November 28, 2017
  9. American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed April 23, 2020
  10. National Review, "Who is Allison Eid?" June 7, 2017
  11. The Hill, "Trump expects to nominate woman to replace Ginsburg next week," September 19, 2020
  12. ‘’CNN’’, “Trump to announce Supreme Court nominee,” September 26, 2020
  13. CBS News, "Trump says Justice Kennedy's replacement will come from list of 25," June 27, 2018
  14. The White House, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Five Additions to Supreme Court List," November 17, 2017
  15. 15.015.1Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  16. Colorado Peak Politics, "SHOUT OUT: Eid Makes Trumps Short List for SCOTUS," accessed May 21, 2016
  17. 17.017.1Colorado Supreme Court,Regents of the University of Colorado v. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus Opinion, filed March 5, 2012
  18. Email correspondence with Jane B. Howell, Executive Director of the CCJPE, Aug 27, 2010
  19. Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, Review of Justice Eid

Political offices
Preceded by
Neil Gorsuch
United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
2017-Present
Succeeded by
-