Michael J. Newman

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Tenure

2020 - Present

Years in position

5

Prior offices:

United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Years in office: 2011 - 2020

Education

Bachelor's

New York University, 1982

Law

American University, Washington College of Law, 1989

Personal

Birthplace

Somerville, NJ

Contact

Official website

Michael J. Newman is anArticle III judge on theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. He was nominated by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on March 3, 2020, and confirmed by a 67-30 vote of theU.S. Senate on October 22, 2020. To see a full list of judges appointed byDonald Trump,click here.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is one of 94U.S. District Courts. They are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the Southern District of Ohio,click here.

Newman was afederal magistrate judge for theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio from 2011 to 2020.

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (Article III seat, 2020-present)

See also:Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

On March 3, 2020, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Newman to anArticle III seat on theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. He was confirmed by a 67-30 vote of the U.S. Senate on October 22, 2020, and received commission on November 10, 2020. To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
Name: Michael Newman
Court:United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
Progress
Confirmed 233 days after nomination.
ANominated: March 3, 2020
AABA Rating:Unanimously well qualified
Questionnaire:Questionnaire
AHearing: July 29, 2020
QFRs:QFRs(Hover over QFRs to read more)
AReported: September 17, 2020
AConfirmed: October 22, 2020
AVote: 67-30

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Newman by a vote of 67-30 on October 22, 2020.^[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website,click here.

Newman confirmation vote (October 22, 2020)
Party	Yea	Nay	No vote
Democratic	14	28	3
Republican	53	0	0
Independent	0	2	0
Total	67	30	3

Change in Senate rules

See also:

Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress

Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

United States federal courts

Newman was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.

On April 3, 2019, theU.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 todistrict court judgeships from 30 hours after invokingcloture to two.^[2]

The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as thenuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.^[3]

It was the third use of thenuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to theSupreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.^[4] For more, seeFilibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Newman had his hearing before theSenate Judiciary Committee on July 29, 2020.^[5] The committee voted 17-5 to advance Newman's nomination to the fullU.S. Senate on September 17, 2020.^[6]

Nomination

On February 26, 2020, PresidentDonald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Newman to anArticle III seat on theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.^[7] The president officially nominated Newman on March 3.^[1]

Newman was nominated to replace JudgeMichael Barrett, who assumedsenior status on February 15, 2019.^[1]

Ohio Sens.Sherrod Brown (D) andRob Portman (R) expressed support for Newman's nomination.Click here to read a statement from the senators.

TheAmerican Bar Association unanimously rated Newmanwell qualified for the position.^[8] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.

United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (magistrate, 2011-2020)

Newman became afederal magistrate judge for theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on July 25, 2011. He was re-appointed in 2019.^[9][10] He left the position after he was confirmed to anArticle III on the same court in 2020.

Early life and education

Newman was born in 1960 inSomerville, New Jersey. He earned his bachelor of fine arts degree from New York University in 1982, and hisJ.D.,cum laude, from American University's Washington College of Law in 1989. He attended an advanced mediation program at Harvard Law School in 2004.^[11]

Career

• 2011-present:U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
  • 2020-present:Article III judge
  • 2011-2020:Federal magistrate judge
• 2003-2011: Dinsmore and Shohl, LLP
  • 2007-2011: Partner
  • 2003-2006: Associate
• 1999-2003: Law clerk to Magistrate Judge Jack Sherman, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• 1998-1999: Law clerk to JudgeNathaniel Jones,U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
• 1989-1998: Law clerk to Magistrate Judge Jack Sherman, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio^[11]

Awards and associations

Awards

The following is a list of awards and recognition Newman received between 2010 and 2019.

• 2019: Certificate of appreciation for service, Washington University School of Law
• 2018: Fellow, Ohio State Bar Foundation
• 2017: Judicial Ambassador for Civics Education, Federal Bar Association
• 2017: Fellow,American Bar Association
• 2016: Outstanding service recognition, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky John W. Peck Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
• 2015: Fellow, Federal Bar Association Foundation
• 2014:
  • Valuable and dedicated service recognition, Federal Magistrate Judges Association
  • Service and leadership recognition, Dayton Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
  • President's Award, Federal Bar Association
  • Fellow, Dayton Bar Association Foundation
• 2013: Significant commitment recognition, Summer Work Experience in Law
• 2012:
  • Certification of appreciation for service, Ohio State Bar Association
  • Certification of appreciation for service, Dayton Bar Association
• 2010: Boots Fisher National Public Service Award, Federal Bar Association^[11]

Associations

• American Bar Association
• Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Cincinnati
• Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati
• Cincinnati Bar Association
• Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc.
• Dayton Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Federal Magistrate Judges Association
• The Federalist Society
• Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project
• Law and Leadership Institute
• Lawyers Club of Dayton
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Ohio Women's Bar Association^[11]

About the court

Southern District of Ohio
Sixth Circuit
Judgeships
Posts: 8
Judges: 7
Vacancies: 1
Judges
Chief:Sarah Daggett Morrison
Active judges:Douglas Cole,Jeffery P. Hopkins,Algenon Marbley,Matthew McFarland,Sarah Daggett Morrison,Michael J. Newman,Edmund Sargus Senior judges: Michael Barrett,Sandra Beckwith,Timothy S. Black,Susan Dlott,James Graham,Walter Rice,Thomas Rose,Michael Watson,Herman Weber

TheUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is one of 94United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit based in downtownCincinnati at the Potter A. Stewart Federal Courthouse and Building.

The Southern District of Ohio hasoriginal 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 Southern District of Ohio consists of all the followingcounties in the southern part of the state ofOhio.

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

TheEastern Division, coveringAthens,Belmont,Coshocton,Delaware,Fairfield,Fayette,Franklin,Gallia,Guernsey,Harrison,Hocking,Jackson,Jefferson,Knox,Licking,Logan,Madison,Meigs,Monroe,Morgan,Morrow,Muskingum,Noble,Perry,Pickaway,Pike,Ross,Union,Vinton, andWashington counties.

TheWestern Division, coveringAdams,Brown,Butler,Champaign,Clark,Clermont,Clinton,Darke,Greene,Hamilton,Highland,Lawrence,Miami,Montgomery,Preble,Scioto,Shelby, andWarren counties.

To read opinions published by this court, clickhere.

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

• United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit

External links

Suggest a link

• Biography from theFederal Judicial Center
• Judge Newman's biography from the District Court website
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit

Footnotes

v • e Federal judges who have served theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
Active judges	Chief Judge: Algenon Marbley  •  Edmund Sargus  •  Matthew McFarland  •  Jeffery P. Hopkins  •  Michael Newman (Ohio)  •  Sarah Daggett Morrison  •  Douglas Cole
Senior judges	Sandra Beckwith  •  Herman Weber  •  James Graham (Ohio federal judge)  •  Walter Rice  •  Susan Dlott  •  Thomas Rose  •  Michael Watson (Ohio)  •  Michael Barrett (Ohio)  •  Timothy S. Black  •
Magistrate judges	Karen L. Litkovitz  •  Caroline Helen Gentry  •  Elizabeth Preston Deavers  •  Stephanie Bowman (Ohio)  •  Kimberly Jolson  •  Chelsey Vascura  •  Peter Silvain  •
Former Article III judges	S. Arthur Spiegel  •  John Holschuh  •  George Smith  •  Humphrey Howe Leavitt  •  Philip Bergen Swing  •  George Read Sage  •  Albert Clifton Thompson  •  John Elbert Sater  •  Howard Clark Hollister  •  John Weld Peck  •  Smith Hickenlooper  •  Benson Hough  •  Robert Reasoner Nevin  •  Mell Underwood  •  John Druffel  •  Lester Cecil  •  Robert Duncan (Ohio)  •  Timothy Hogan (United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio)  •  Joseph Kinneary  •  John Peck II  •  David S. Porter  •  Carl Rubin  •  Carl Weinman  •
Former Chief judges	Sandra Beckwith  •  John Holschuh  •  James Graham (Ohio federal judge)  •  Walter Rice  •  Robert Reasoner Nevin  •  Mell Underwood  •  Timothy Hogan (United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio)  •  Joseph Kinneary  •  David S. Porter  •  Carl Rubin  •  Carl Weinman  •

v • e Federal judges nominated to Article III courts byDonald Trump
2017	Thomas Parker •Elizabeth Branch •Neil Gorsuch •Amul Thapar •David C. Nye •John K. Bush •Kevin Newsom •Timothy J. Kelly •Ralph Erickson •Scott Palk •Trevor McFadden •Joan Larsen •Amy Coney Barrett •Allison Eid •Stephanos Bibas •Donald Coggins Jr. •Dabney Friedrich •Greg Katsas •Steven Grasz •Don Willett •James Ho •William L. Campbell Jr. •David Stras •Tilman E. Self III •Karen Gren Scholer •Terry A. Doughty •Claria Horn Boom •John Broomes •Rebecca Grady Jennings •Kyle Duncan •Kurt Engelhardt •Michael B. Brennan •Joel Carson •Robert Wier •Fernando Rodriguez Jr. •Annemarie Carney Axon •
2018	Andrew Oldham •Amy St. Eve •Michael Scudder •John Nalbandian •Mark Bennett •Andrew Oldham •Britt Grant •Colm Connolly •Maryellen Noreika •Jill Otake •Jeffrey Beaverstock •Emily Coody Marks •Holly Lou Teeter •Julius Richardson •Charles B. Goodwin •Barry Ashe •Stan Baker •A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. •Terry F. Moorer •Susan Baxter •William Jung •Alan Albright •Dominic Lanza •Eric Tostrud •Charles Williams •Nancy E. Brasel •James Sweeney •Kari A. Dooley •Marilyn J. Horan •Robert Summerhays •Brett Kavanaugh •David Porter •Liles Burke •Michael Juneau •Peter Phipps •Lance Walker •Richard Sullivan •Eli Richardson •Ryan Nelson •Chad F. Kenney, Sr. •Susan Brnovich •William M. Ray, II •Jeremy Kernodle •Thomas Kleeh •J.P. Hanlon •Mark Norris •Jonathan Kobes •Michael Brown •David Counts
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
2025	Whitney Hermandorfer •Joshua Divine •Cristian M. Stevens •Zachary Bluestone •Emil Bove •Edward Artau •Kyle Dudek•Maria Lanahan•Jennifer Mascott•Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe•Chad Meredith•Harold Mooty•Jordan Pratt•Edmund LaCour•Bill Lewis•Eric Tung•Rebecca Taibleson•Joshua D. Dunlap•Bill Mercer