Andre M. Davis
| Andre Davis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
|
In office November 10, 2009 – February 28, 2014 | |
| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Francis Murnaghan |
| Succeeded by | Pamela Harris |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland | |
|
In office August 14, 1995 – November 10, 2009 | |
| Appointed by | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Walter Black |
| Succeeded by | Ellen Hollander |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 11, 1949 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
University of Pennsylvania University of Maryland, Baltimore |
Andre Maurice Davis (born February 11, 1949) is a Senior Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He used to be a federal district judge, and was nominated first for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit by President Bill Clinton in 2000. He was renominated to the Fourth Circuit by President Barack Obama on April 2, 2009, and he was confirmed by the Senate on November 9, 2009. On February 28, 2014 Davis assumed senior status.
Early life and education
Born in Baltimore, Davis grew up in East Baltimore. His father was a schoolteacher, his mother was a food services worker and his stepfather was a steel worker, according to an October 12, 2000 article in the Baltimore Sun. Davis attended Phillips Academy for high school, and earned a bachelor's degree in American history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971.[1] Although he had planned to become a college professor, Davis chose to pursue a career in the law after taking an undergraduate course in constitutional law, according to the October 12, 2000 article in the Baltimore Sun. Davis earned a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1978.[1] At the University of Maryland, Davis won the Myerowitz Moot Court Competition in 1977 and was thus elected to the law school's three-member National Moot Court Team.[2]
Professional career
Prior to law school, Davis served as an assistant housing manager and equal opportunity specialist with the Housing Authority of Baltimore City. After graduating from law school, Davis clerked for U.S. District Judge Frank Kaufman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland from 1978 until 1979. Davis then clerked from 1979 until 1980 for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Francis Dominic Murnaghan, Jr. From 1980 until 1981, Davis worked as an appellate attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. In 1981, Davis joined the United States Attorney's office for the District of Maryland as an Assistant U.S. Attorney until 1983, when he entered private practice. From 1984 until 1987, Davis worked as an assistant professor for the University of Maryland School of Law. He became a judge in 1987, when he was appointed to be an associate judge for the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore City. From 1990 until 1995, Davis worked as an associate judge for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City.[1]
Nomination and confirmation to United States District Court for the District of Maryland
On May 4, 1995, President Bill Clinton nominated Davis to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. The U.S. Senate unanimously approved Davis to the seat in a voice vote on August 11, 1995. In discussing his judicial philosophy, Davis told the Baltimore Sun in an article that was published on October 12, 2000 that "I want the loser -- and I know there's always going to be a loser, that's the nature of the beast -- but I want the loser to be able to say, 'I lost, but I was heard, and I believe that judge gave me every consideration in hearing my side.'"
Nomination and confirmation to Fourth Circuit
On October 12, 2000, President Clinton nominated Davis to be a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, to replace Murnaghan, who had died.[3] The nomination was a part of Clinton's effort to integrate the Fourth Circuit, which up to that point had never had an African-American judge; however, since Davis was nominated after July 1, 2000, the unofficial start date of the Thurmond Rule during a presidential election year, no hearings were scheduled on his nomination, and the nomination was returned to Clinton at the end of his term. President George W. Bush chose not to renominate Davis to the Fourth Circuit.
On April 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Davis to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.[4][5] On June 4, 2009, the Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed the nomination by a vote of 17-3.[6]
The full Senate voted 72-16 to confirm Davis on November 9, 2009. Davis received his commission on November 10, 2009.
Davis assumed senior status on February 28, 2014, President Obama's first appointee to the federal courts to assume such status.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Judge Andre Davis Biograph
- ↑ Myerowitz Competition Winners Archived June 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine..
- ↑ Office of the Press Secretary - President Clinton nominates Judge Andre M. Davis to the Federal Bench. | M2 Presswire | Find Articles at BNET.com
- ↑ Nominations Sent to the Senate, 4/02/09
- ↑ Obama taps 2 more for federal appeals courts, Associated Press (April. 2, 2009).
- ↑ Henri E. Cauvin, Senate Committee Backs 4th Circuit Nominee, Washington Post, June 5, 2009
External links
- Andre M. Davis at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- U.S. District Court Profile
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Walter Black |
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland 1995–2009 |
Succeeded by Ellen Hollander |
| Preceded by Francis Murnaghan |
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit 2009–2014 |
Succeeded by Pamela Harris |