Karen Gren Scholer
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
Assumed office
March 6, 2018
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byJorge Antonio Solis
Judge of the 95th District Court of Texas
In office
January 1, 2001 – December 31, 2008
Succeeded byKen Molberg
Personal details
Born
Karen Anne Gren

(1957-12-02) December 2, 1957 (age 66)
Tokyo, Japan
Political partyRepublican[1]
EducationRice University (BA)
Cornell University (JD)

Karen Anne Gren Scholer (born December 2, 1957)[2] is an American lawyer who serves as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Biography

Scholer being sworn in in 2018

Scholer received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979 from Rice University. She received a Juris Doctor in 1982 from Cornell Law School. She started her legal career as an associate at the law firm of Strasburger & Price, LLP, where she was employed from 1982 to 1996. She was elevated to partner in 1989. From 1996 to 2000, she was a partner at the law firm of Andrews Kurth.

In 2000, Scholer was elected as a Republican to be a State District Judge for the 95th Judicial District Court of Dallas County, Texas She was re-elected without opposition in 2004, serving in this position until 2008.[1] In 2007, she also served as the presiding judge for the Dallas County Civil District Judges. From 2009 to 2013, she was a partner at the law firm of Jones Day. From 2014 to 2018, Scholer was a principal in the law firm of Carter Scholer Arnett Hamada & Mockler, PLLC, where she specialized in business litigation, complex tort litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. She was promoted to a co-managing partner in 2015.[3]

Federal judicial service

Expired nomination to Eastern District of Texas under Obama

On March 15, 2016, President Barack Obama agreed with U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz to nominate Scholer to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas as part of a bipartisan package of nominees which included E. Scott Frost, to the seat vacated by Judge Richard A. Schell, who assumed senior status on March 10, 2015.[4] On September 7, 2016, a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on her nomination.[5] Her nomination generated no controversy,[6] but the Senate had a large backlog of nominees and bills. Her nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress.

Nomination to Northern District of Texas under Trump

On September 7, 2017, Scholer was renominated to a district court by President Donald Trump. However, she was nominated to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, to the seat vacated by Judge Jorge Antonio Solis, who retired on May 1, 2016.[7][8] On October 26, 2017, her nomination was reported out of committee by a voice vote.[9] On March 1, 2018, the Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 96–1 vote.[10] On March 5, her nomination was confirmed by a 95–0 vote.[11][12] She received her commission on March 6, 2018,[13] and was sworn into office on March 7, 2018. Scholer is the first Asian-American federal district judge in the state of Texas.[14]

Electoral history

2000
95th Judicial District Court – Republican Primary, March 14, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Karen Johnson 37,540 54.68%
Republican Sally Montgomery 31,117 45.32%
Majority 6,423 9.36%
Total votes 68,657 100.00%
95th Judicial District Court – Election Results, November 7, 2000
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Karen Johnson 316,866 100.00% ±0.00%
Majority 316,866 100.00% ±0.00%
Total votes 316,866 100.00% ±0.00%
Republican hold Swing ±0.00%
2004
95th Judicial District Court – Republican Primary, March 9, 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Karen Johnson 23,400 100.00% +45.32%
Majority 23,400 100.00% +90.64%
Total votes 23,400 100.00% −65.92%
95th Judicial District Court – Election Results, November 2, 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Karen Johnson 100.00% ±0.00%
Majority 100.00% ±0.00%
Total votes 100.00% ±0.00%
Republican hold Swing ±0.00%

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Voruganti, Harsh (October 26, 2017). "Karen Gren Scholer – Nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas". The Vetting Room. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "Karen Gren Scholer". Texas State Cemetery. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. ^ "President Obama Nominates Six to Serve on the United States District Courts". whitehouse.gov. March 15, 2016 – via National Archives.
  4. ^ "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov. March 15, 2016 – via National Archives.
  5. ^ "Nominations | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary". www.judiciary.senate.gov. September 7, 2016.
  6. ^ September 03, Zack Needles; AM, 2019 at 01:00. "Attorney of the Year Finalist: Karen Gren Scholer". Texas Lawyer.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Seventh Wave of Judicial Candidates". whitehouse.gov – via National Archives.
  8. ^ "Nine Nominations Sent to the Senate Today". whitehouse.gov – via National Archives.
  9. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – October 26, 2017" (PDF). Senate Judiciary Committee.
  10. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Karen Gren Scholer to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Texas)". United States Senate.
  11. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation Karen Gren Scholer, of Texas, to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Texas)". United States Senate.
  12. ^ "Senate confirms former Dallas judge for federal bench | Politics". Dallas News. January 18, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  13. ^ Karen Gren Scholer at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  14. ^ September 03, Zack Needles; AM, 2019 at 01:00. "Attorney of the Year Finalist: Karen Gren Scholer". Texas Lawyer.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

Legal offices Preceded byJorge Antonio Solis Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas 2018–present Incumbent
Active district judges of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
Categories