David S. Morales
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Assumed office
April 25, 2019
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byJanis Graham Jack
Personal details
Born1968 (age 55–56)
Edinburg, Texas, U.S.
EducationSt. Edward's University (BBA)
St. Mary's University (JD)

David Steven Morales (born 1968) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Biography

Morales received a Bachelor of Business Administration from St. Edward's University and a Juris Doctor from St. Mary's University School of Law. After law school, Morales joined the Texas Attorney General's Office and worked there for 17 years, eventually being promoted to Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation and Deputy First Assistant Attorney General. Later, he served as general counsel to Governor Rick Perry from 2011 to 2014. After that position, Morales was Deputy General Counsel to the University of Texas System Board of Regents. Immediately before becoming a judge, he was a partner at Kelly, Hart & Hallman, where he specialized in education and administrative law.[1][2]

Federal judicial service

On April 10, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Morales to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. On April 12, 2018, the nomination was sent to the Senate. He was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Janis Graham Jack, who assumed senior status on June 1, 2011.[3] On June 6, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[4] On June 28, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote.[5]

On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January 23, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to renominate Morales for a federal judgeship.[6] His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day.[7] On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.[8] On April 10, 2019, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 57–41 vote.[9] Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 56–41 vote.[10] He received his judicial commission on April 25, 2019.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Twelfth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Twelfth Wave of United States Attorneys, and Sixth Wave of United States Marshals". whitehouse.gov. April 10, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2018 – via National Archives. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ "David S. Morales bio". Kelly Hart. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  3. ^ "Twenty-Nine Nominations Sent to the Senate Today", The White House, April 12, 2018
  4. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for June 6, 2018
  5. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – June 28, 2018" (PDF). Senate Judiciary Committee.
  6. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Judicial Nominees", White House, January 23, 2019
  7. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, January 23, 2019
  8. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 7, 2019" (PDF). Senate Judiciary Committee.
  9. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: David Steven Morales, of Texas, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas)". United States Senate. April 10, 2019.
  10. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation David Steven Morales, of Texas, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas)". United States Senate. April 10, 2019.
  11. ^ David S. Morales at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

External links

Legal offices Preceded byJanis Graham Jack Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas 2019–present Incumbent
Active district judges of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
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