Stephanie A. Gallagher
Stephanie A. Gallagher is a judge on theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland. On June 11, 2018, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Gallagher to anArticle III seat on this court.[1] TheU.S. Senate confirmed Gallagher by voice vote on September 11, 2019.[2] She received commission on September 13, 2019.[3] To see a full list of judges appointed byDonald Trump,click here.
TheUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland 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.
PresidentBarack Obama (D) nominated Gallagher to be elevated tofederal judge for theDistrict of Maryland on September 8, 2015.[4] On January 3, 2017, Gallagher's nomination was returned to the president at thesine die adjournment of the114th Congress.[5]
Gallagher was afederal magistrate judge for theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland from 2011 to 2019. She joined the court on April 18, 2011.[6]
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the District of Maryland (2019-present)
Gallagher was nominated by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on June 11, 2018, to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland.[1] TheU.S. Senate confirmed Gallagher by voice vote on September 11, 2019.[2] To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Stephanie A. Gallagher |
| Court:United States District Court for the District of Maryland |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 457 days after nomination. |
 ANominated: June 11, 2018 |
| AABA Rating:Unanimously well qualified |
| Questionnaire:(2015) Questionnaire |
| AHearing: No hearings held |
| QFRs:(2015) QFRs(Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| AReported: October 11, 2018 (first) June 20, 2019 (second) |
| AConfirmed: September 11, 2019 |
| AVote: Voice vote |
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Gallagher on September 11, 2019, by voice vote.[2]
Change in Senate rules
Gallagher 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.[7]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as thenuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[8]
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.[9] For more, seeFilibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee vote
On October 11, 2018, theSenate Judiciary Committee voted 20-1 to advance Gallagher's nomination to the full Senate.[10] The committee voted a second time, 21-1, on June 20, 2019, to advance her nomination to the full Senate.[11]
Nomination
On June 7, 2018, PresidentDonald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Gallagher to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland.[12] Gallagher was officially nominated on June 11, 2018. The president nominated Gallagher to succeed JudgeWilliam Quarles, who assumedsenior status on February 1, 2016.[1]
At thesine die adjournment of the115th Congress on January 3, 2019, the Senate returned Gallagher's nomination to the president.[1][13]
Trump announced his intent to renominate Gallagher on April 8, 2019.[14] The second nomination was officially sent to the Senate on May 21, 2019.[15]
Sens.Ben Cardin (D) andChris Van Hollen (D) of Maryland applauded Gallagher's nomination. In a statement, Cardin said, "I was pleased to recommend Judge Gallagher’s nomination to both President Obama and President Trump, and I am confident that she will serve the people of Maryland well once confirmed as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland." Van Hollen said, "I was proud to recommend her to the Administration with my full support, and I will continue to push forward her confirmation in the Senate. She will be an excellent asset to our state and country in the role as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Maryland."[16]
TheAmerican Bar Association unanimously rated Gallagherwell qualified for the position.[17] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.
United States District Court for the District of Maryland (2015)
Gallagher was nominated to theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland by PresidentBarack Obama on September 8, 2015.[4] To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Hearings on Gallagher's nomination were held in theUnited States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on April 20, 2016, and her nomination was reported by U.S. Sen.Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on May 19, 2016.[18][19]
- Click here to access Gallagher's committee questionnaire.
- Click here to access Gallagher's questions for the record.
Nomination
Gallagher was nominated by PresidentBarack Obama (D) on September 8, 2015, to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland.[12] The president nominated Gallagher to succeed JudgeWilliam Quarles, who assumedsenior status on February 1, 2016.[5]
At thesine die adjournment of the114th Congress on January 3, 2017, the Senate returned Gallagher's nomination to the president.[5][13]
TheAmerican Bar Association unanimously rated Gallagherwell qualified for the nomination.[20] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.
United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Magistrate (2011-2019)
Gallagher was appointed as a part-timefederal magistrate judge on April 18, 2011.[6][21]
Early life and education
Born in 1972 in Rockville, Connecticut, Gallagher earned her bachelor's degree from Georgetown University, graduatingmagna cum laude in 1994. She obtained herJ.D. from Harvard Law School, graduatingcum laude in 1997.[6]
Professional career
- 2011-present:United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- 2019-present:Article III judge
- 2011-2019:Magistrate judge
- 2008-2011: Partner, Levin & Gallagher LLC, Baltimore,Maryland
- 2002-2008: Assistant United States Attorney,District of Maryland
- 1999-2001: Associate, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Washington, D.C.
- 1997-1999: Law clerk, HonorableFrederick Motz,District of Maryland[6]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2008: Certificate of appreciation, Baltimore Police Department
- 2008: Commendation plaque, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- 2008: Award and clock, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms
- 2007: Commendation plaque, Immigration & Customs Enforcement
- 2004: Litigation award, United States Attorney's Office[22]
Associations
- Member, Board of Governors of the Federal Bar Association, Maryland Chapter
- Member, The Barristers Law Club
- Member, The Wednesday Law Club[6]
About the court
| District of Maryland |
|---|
| Fourth Circuit |
 |
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 10 |
| Judges: 10 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief:George L. Russell, III |
| Active judges:Adam Abelson,Deborah Boardman,Theodore Chuang,Stephanie A. Gallagher,Lydia Kay Griggsby,Brendan Hurson,Matthew Maddox,Julie Rubin,George L. Russell III,Paula Xinis Senior judges: |
TheUnited States District Court for the District of Maryland 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 Fourth Circuit based in downtownRichmond, Virginia, at the Lewis F. Powell Federal Courthouse.
The District of Maryland hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
There are two court divisions, each covering the following counties:
TheBaltimore (Northern) Division, coveringAllegany,Anne Arundel,Baltimore,Balitmore City,Caroline,Carroll,Cecil,Dorchester,Frederick,Garrett,Harford,Howard,Kent,Queen Anne's,Somerset,Talbot,Washington,Wicomico, andWorcester counties
TheGreenbelt (Southern) Division, coveringCalvert,Charles,Montgomery,Prince George's, andSt. Mary's 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 District of Maryland
- United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
External links
Officeholder United States District Court for the District of Maryland |
- Biography from theFederal Judicial Center
- Biography from the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
- White House press release announcing intent to renominate Gallagher (2019)
- White House press release announcing intent to renominate Gallagher (2018)
- White House press release announcing intent to renominate Gallagher (2015)
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.11.21.3Congress.gov, "PN2115 — Stephanie A. Gallagher — The Judiciary," accessed April 9, 2019
- ↑2.02.12.2Congress.gov, "PN774 — Stephanie A. Gallagher — The Judiciary," accessed September 11, 2019
- ↑Federal Judicial Center, "Gallagher, Stephanie Agli," accessed September 16, 2019
- ↑4.04.1The White House, "President Obama Nominates Three to Serve on the United States District Courts," September 8, 2015
- ↑5.05.15.2United States Congress, "PN 774 — Stephanie A. Gallagher — The Judiciary," accessed January 3, 2017
- ↑6.06.16.26.36.4United States District Court for the District of Maryland, "Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher," accessed April 9, 2019
- ↑The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Results of the Executive Business Meeting," October 11, 2018
- ↑U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," June 20, 2019
- ↑12.012.1WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Fifteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Fourteenth Wave of United States Attorney Nominees, and Ninth Wave of United States Marshal Nominees," June 7, 2018
- ↑13.013.1Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjournssine die or recesses for more than 30 days.Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 11, 2017
- ↑White House, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominations," April 8, 2019
- ↑White House, "Twelve Nominations Sent to the Senate," May 21, 2019
- ↑Ben Cardin, U.S. Senator for Maryland, "Cardin, Van Hollen Praise Nominee Stephanie Gallagher For Federal District Court Seat in Maryland," June 7, 2018
- ↑American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees, 115th Congress," accessed October 11, 2018
- ↑U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Nominations," April 20, 2016
- ↑United States Senate, "Pending nominations on the executive calendar (civilian)," May 19, 2016
- ↑American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III Judicial Nominees: 114th Congress," accessed September 15, 2015
- ↑United States Courts, "Third Branch News: Judicial Milestones," May 2011
- ↑U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Stephanie A. Gallagher," accessed April 9, 2019
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - | United States District Court for the District of Maryland 2019-Present | Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - | United States District Court for the District of Maryland 2011-2019 | Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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•Susan Rodriguez•Robert Chamberlin•Matthew Orso•David Bragdon•Jimmy Maxwell•Lindsey Freeman•William J. Crain | ||
| 2026 | |||
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court:District of Maryland • U.S. Bankruptcy Court:District of Maryland
State courts:
Maryland Supreme Court•Appellate Court of Maryland•Maryland District Courts•Maryland Circuit Courts•Maryland Orphans' Court
State resources:
Courts in Maryland •Maryland judicial elections •Judicial selection in Maryland
- Pages using DynamicPageList3 parser function
- Appointed by Donald Trump
- Confirmed 2019
- Federal Article III judges
- Federal judge, United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- Federal judiciary nominee, June 2018
- Former federal magistrate judge
- Former magistrate judge, United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- Maryland
- Federal judge, District of Maryland
- Former magistrate judge, District of Maryland
- Federal judiciary nominee, September 2015
- Female
- Returned nominee 2019
- Returned nominee 2017
- Former Federal court nominees
