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Jeremy Kernodle

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Jeremy Kernodle

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

Tenure

2018 - Present

Years in position

Education

Bachelor's

Harding University, 1998

Law

Vanderbilt University Law School, 2001

Personal

Birthplace

Memphis, TN

Contact

Official website

Jeremy Daniel Kernodle is a judge on theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. He was nominated to the court by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on January 23, 2018, and confirmed by theU.S. Senate on October 11, 2018, by a voice vote.^[1]^[2] To see a full list of judges appointed byDonald Trump,click here.

TheUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is one of 94U.S. District Courts. They are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the court,click here.

At the time of his nomination, Kernodle was a partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP.^[1]

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

See also:Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

Kernodle was nominated to theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on January 23, 2020. TheU.S. Senate confirmed Kernodle on October 11, 2018, by a voice vote.^[3] He received commission on November 2, 2018.^[2]To read more about the federal nomination process,click here.

Nomination Tracker

Nominee Information
Name: Jeremy Kernodle
Court:United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Progress
Confirmed 261 days after nomination.
ANominated: January 23, 2018
AABA Rating:Unanimously qualified
Questionnaire:Questionnaire
AHearing: May 9, 2018

QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more)

AReported: June 7, 2018
AConfirmed: October 11, 2018
AVote: Voice vote

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Kernodle on October 11, 2018, by voice vote.^[3]

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Kernodle had his hearing before theSenate Judiciary Committee on May 9, 2018. The committee voted to advance Kernodle's nomination to the full Senate on June 7, 2018.^[3]

Nomination

Kernodle was nominated to replace JudgeMichael Schneider, who retired on October 1, 2016.

TheAmerican Bar Association unanimously rated Kernodlequalified for the position.^[4] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.

Early life and education

Kernodle was born inMemphis, Tennessee, in 1976. He received a B.A. and a B.B.A. from Harding University in 1998. He obtained aJ.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2001.^[2]

Professional career

2018-present: Judge,United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
2006-2018: Private practice, Haynes and Boone, LLP
2005-2006: Attorney-advisor, Office of Legal Counsel,U.S. Department of Justice
2002-2005: Private practice, Covington and Burling LLP,Washington, D.C.
2001-2002: Law clerk to JudgeGerald Tjoflat,United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit^[1]^[2]

Noteworthy events

Federal judges sign letter regarding hiring Columbia University students (2024)

On May 6, 2024, Kernodle and 12 other federal judges signed a letter to Columbia University saying they would not hire undergraduates or law students from the university, beginning with the entering class of 2024.^[5]

In the letter, the judges said, "As judges who hire law clerks every year to serve in the federal judiciary, we have lost conﬁdence in Columbia as an institution of higher education."^[6]

They signed the letter in the context of student demonstrations at Columbia University over the Israel-Hamas War. The students who participated in the demonstrations demanded that the university divest all of its finances from "companies and institutions that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine."^[7]

The judges said they believed the university should institute consequences for faculty and students who participated in the demonstrations. They also called on the university to practice "neutrality and nondiscrimination in the protection of freedom of speech" and "viewpoint diversity on the faculty and across the administration."^[6]

The Washington Post reported that Dean of Columbia Law School Gillian Lester said in a statement that graduates are "consistently sought out by leading employers in the private and public sectors, including the judiciary." Lester did not directly address the letter.^[5]

About the court

Eastern District of Texas
Fifth Circuit

Judgeships
Posts: 8
Judges: 8
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief:Amos Mazzant
Active judges:J. Campbell Barker,Marcia Crone,James Gilstrap,Sean Jordan,Jeremy Kernodle,Amos Mazzant,Robert William Schroeder III,Michael Truncale Senior judges: Ron Clark,Richard Schell

TheUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is one of 94United States district courts. The court's headquarters are inTyler, Texas. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit based in downtownNew Orleans at theJohn Minor Wisdom Federal Courthouse.

The Eastern District of Texas hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

There are six court divisions, each covering the following counties:

TheBeaumont Division, coveringHardin,Jasper,Jefferson,Liberty,Newton andOrange counties.

TheLufkin Division, coveringAngelina,Houston,Nacogdoches,Polk,Sabine,Shelby,San Augustine,Trinity andTyler counties.

TheMarshall Division, coveringCamp,Cass,Harrison,Marion,Morris andUpshur counties.

TheSherman Division, coveringCollin,Cooke,Denton,Grayson,Delta,Fannin,Hopkins andLamar counties.

TheTexarkana Division, coveringBowie,Franklin,Titus andRed River counties.

TheTyler Division, coveringAnderson,Cherokee,Gregg,Henderson,Panola,Rains,Rusk,Smith,Van Zandt andWood counties.

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.