Trump makes two nominations to 7th Circuit bench

Two Illinois legal professionals with experience in government litigation have been nominated to judgeships on the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals.

President Donald Trump announced the nominations of Michael Y. Scudder, Jr. and Judge Amy J. St. Eve to the 7^th Circuit bench on Monday. Scudder is currently a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Chicago, while St. Eve is a judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Scudder has practiced civil litigation and white collar defense since 2009 at the Chicago law firm, which he joined after spending two years in the White House Counsel’s Office advising President George W. Bush and the National Security Council. Scudder has also served in the U.S. Department of Justice and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Prior to her district court judgeship — which began in 2002 — St. Eve was senior counsel for litigation at Abbott Laboratories. She has also worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Illinois and as associate independent counsel for the Whitewater independent counsel investigation, chairing the fraud prosecution of former Arkansas Gov. Jim Guy Tucker and Jim and Susan McDougal. 

Scudder earned his law degree from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law — where he and St. Eve are both adjunct faculty — while St. Eve earned her degree from Cornell Law School.

Other judicial nominations made Monday include:

• Mark J. Bennett, Hawaii to the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals

• Andrew S. Oldham, Texas, to the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals

• Nancy E. Brasel to the District of Minnesota

• Eric C. Tostrud to the District of Minnesota

• Thomas S. Kleeh to the Northern District of West Virginia

• Peter J. Phipps to the Western District of Pennsylvania

• C.J. Williams to the Northern District of Iowa

The nominees must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.