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Senate Votes To Confirm 12 Federal Judges
By Aebra Coe
Law360, New York (December 17, 2014, 11:24 AM ET) -- In its last vote of the year, the U.S. Senate on
Tuesday approved 12 federal judicial nominees, including a controversial pick from Missouri,
a Covington & Burling white collar defense pro in California and a Zuckerman Spaeder LLP partner who
will be the first Asian-Pacific American to serve as a federal judge in Washington, D.C.
The Senate voted 51-38 to approve the nomination of Stephen R. Bough to the Western District of
Missouri, despite protests and a slew of questions from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, over the nominee’s
Democratic party affiliations. Bough has spent the past eight years as a litigator at his own personal
injury and insurance private practice and has held numerous fundraisers for members of the Democratic
party.
The remaining 11 nominees were approved with a voice vote, filling openings in California, D.C., Texas,
New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Virginia.
In a lengthy questionnaire posed by Sen. Grassley leading up to the vote, Bough was probed about his
political involvement and several public statements and blog posts he made about the “erosion of civil
liberties” caused by the Bush Administration’s U.S. Supreme Court nominees.
In his response, Bough said he now realizes some of the statements were overly harsh and apologized
for them.
“If I am given the honor of serving as a federal judge, my tone and temperament will always represent
the dignity of the office,” he said. “I assure you and the entire Senate that if allowed to serve as a judge I
will never be motivated by a political ideology. There is no place for politics or personal views on the
bench.”
After all of his questions were answered, Sen. Grassley continued to voice reservations about the
nominee, issuing a statement expressing his opposition Monday.
“There are just too many data points — red flags, if you will — which tell me that Mr. Bough doesn’t
have what it takes to serve in a lifetime appointment on the Missouri district court,” Grassley said in the
statement. “These red flags all relate to one troubling question that the nominee’s record raises:
whether Mr. Bough has the temperament to be a federal judge. He doesn’t.”
The rest of the nominees were approved by voice vote.
Covington & Burling partner Haywood Gilliam was voted in to serve in the Northern District of California.
Gilliam is a partner in the firm’s San Francisco office and is vice chairman of the white collar defense and
investigations practice group.
Following the vote, Indian-American Amit Mehta is the first Asian-Pacific American to serve as a U.S.
District Judge for the District of Columbia. Mehta has been a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP since
2010.
Amos Mazzant was voted in to serve on the bench in the Eastern District of Texas. Mazzant was
previously a magistrate judge in the Eastern District and before that he served as a judge in the Court of
Appeals for the Fifth District of Texas.
Robert Schroeder will serve the Eastern District of Texas as well. Since 1999, he has worked at Patton
Tidwell Schroeder & Culbertson LLP handling complex civil litigation.
Robert Pitman was approved to serve as a judge in the Western District of Texas. He is the U.S. Attorney
for the district and before that was a magistrate judge for the district.
Joan Azrack was voted in as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York. Azrack previously
served as a magistrate judge for the same court.
Jorge Alonso was confirmed as a judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Since 2003, he has served as
an associate judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, a state court.
John Blakey is now the U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Blakey currently serves as
the head of special prosecutions at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.
Allison Burroughs was voted on the bench in the District of Massachusetts. Burroughs is a partner
at Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP, where she is a member of the government investigations and white
collar crime practice group.
Elizabeth Dillon will serve as the U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Virginia. Since 2003, Dillon
has been a shareholder at Guynn Memmer & Dillon PC where she advises local governments and
officials on employment and other matters.
Loretta Biggs, the pick for U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina is a partner
at Allman Spry Davis Leggett & Crumpler PA where she practices family law.
--Editing by Rebecca Flanagan.
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