Michael Wallace (lawyer)

Last updated
Michael Wallace
Born
Michael Brunson Wallace

(1951-01-01) January 1, 1951 (age 73)
Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Education Harvard University (BA)
University of Virginia (JD)
OccupationLawyer

Michael Brunson Wallace (born January 1, 1951) is an American lawyer from Jackson, Mississippi and a former nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Contents

Background

Michael Wallace was born January 1, 1951, in Biloxi, Mississippi. He received his bachelor's degree cum laude from Harvard University in 1973. In 1976, he graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served on the Virginia Law Review and was named to the Order of the Coif. Wallace then clerked for Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Harry G. Walker from 1976 until 1977 and then-Associate Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist from 1977 until 1978. From 1980 to 1981, Wallace worked as a research analyst for the United States House of Representatives House Republican Research Committee. From 1980 to 1983, he worked as the counsel for the Office of the Republican Whip in the U.S. House under future Mississippi senator Trent Lott. Wallace was a legislative consultant to the Administrative Conference of the United States from 1984 to 1994. The Conference's primary responsibility was to examine administrative processes in Congress and federal agencies for the purpose of recommending improvements. From 1984 to 1990, Mr. Wallace served as a board member of the Legal Services Corporation, a private, non-profit corporation established by Congress to promote the availability of legal services to the indigent. He served as board chairman from 1988 to 1990. From 1983 to 1986, Mr. Wallace was an associate at the Jackson, Mississippi law firm of Jones, Mockbee, Bass & Hodge. For a substantial time he was a partner at Phelps Dunbar LLP, also in Jackson. [1] In 1992, President George H. W. Bush considered Mr. Wallace for nomination to the federal bench. His name was submitted to the American Bar Association for review, and some civil rights organizations expressed their opposition. The nomination never came before Congress. [1] He is currently a shareholder with the firm of Wise, Carter, Child & Caraway in Jackson, Mississippi. [2]

Fifth Circuit nomination under Bush

On February 8, 2006, President George W. Bush nominated Wallace to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to fill the seat vacated when Charles W. Pickering, a recess appointment to the Court in January 2004, retired at the end of that year.

Wallace was opposed by the Senate Democrats and various advocacy groups, who asserted Wallace had tried to undermine meaningful enforcement of the U.S. civil rights laws. [1] In addition, as chair of the Legal Services Corporation, Wallace had been criticized by from Democrats and a few moderate Republicans for seeking to undermine the agency. He authorized the use of LSC funds to lobby Congress for cuts in LSC's budget and to pay lawyers to prepare a memo arguing for LSC's abolition. Republican Senator Warren Rudman characterized Wallace's appeal to Congress as "absolutely bad faith." [3]

The American Bar Association's judicial-evaluations committee determined that Wallace "has the highest professional competence" and "possesses the integrity to serve on the bench," but gave him a "not qualified" rating, finding him lacking on the element of "judicial temperament." Senate Republicans blamed the "not qualified" rating on liberal bias within the American Bar Association's leadership and judicial-evaluations committee. [4]

In December 2006, Wallace announced that he was withdrawing his name from consideration for the Fifth Circuit. [5] In September 2007, Leslie H. Southwick was confirmed to the seat.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "People for the American Way - New Report Details Shortcomings and Disturbing Background of 'Unqualified' Nominee Michael Wallace". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
  2. ↑ "Wise Carter Child & Caraway, P.A."
  3. ↑ Barrett, Paul (1989-08-29). "Under Bush, A Band of Reaganites Continues to Slash Funds for Legal Aid to the Poor". Wall Street Journal.
  4. ↑ "Not Credible "Whatsoever" by Edward Whelan on National Review Online". Archived from the original on 2009-01-09. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
  5. ↑ "Archived copy". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2017-02-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles W. Pickering</span> American judge (born 1937)

Charles Willis Pickering Sr. is an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi and, briefly, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, based in New Orleans, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George W. Bush Supreme Court candidates</span>

Speculation abounded over potential nominations to the Supreme Court of the United States by President George W. Bush since before his presidency.

Miguel Angel Estrada Castañeda is a Honduran-American attorney who became embroiled in controversy following his 2001 nomination by President George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Senate Democrats, unable to block his nomination in the Senate Judiciary Committee after the Republican Party took control of the U.S. Senate in 2002, used a filibuster for the first time to prevent his nomination from being given a final confirmation vote by the full Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priscilla Richman</span> American judge (born 1954)

Priscilla Richman is an American lawyer and jurist serving as the chief United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She was previously a justice of the Supreme Court of Texas from 1995 to 2005.

Henry William Saad is a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals and a former nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Willett</span> American judge (born 1966)

Donny Ray Willett is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He was previously appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry to serve as a justice of the Supreme Court of Texas on August 24, 2005, when former Justice Priscilla Owen created a vacancy on that court by joining the Fifth Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Allen Griffin</span> American judge (born 1952)

Richard Allen Griffin is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Previously, he was a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie H. Southwick</span> American judge (born 1950)

Leslie Harburd Southwick is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and a former judge of the Mississippi Court of Appeals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halil Suleyman Ozerden</span> American judge (born 1966)

Halil Suleyman "Sul" Ozerden is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi and a former nominee to be a Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helene White</span> American judge (born 1954)

Helene N. White is a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Previously, she was a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals.

During President George W. Bush's two term tenure in office, a few of his nominations for federal judgeships were blocked by the Senate Democrats either directly in the Senate Judiciary Committee or on the full Senate floor in various procedural moves, including the first use of a filibuster to block a Federal Appeals Court nominee. Republicans labeled it an unwarranted obstruction of professionally qualified judicial nominees.

Earle Duncan Getchell, Jr. is an American lawyer and a former nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He is a former Solicitor General of Virginia.

During President Ronald Reagan's presidency, he nominated two people for the Supreme Court and at least twelve people for various federal appellate judgeships who were not confirmed. In some cases, the nominations were not processed by the Democratic-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee before Reagan's presidency ended, while in other cases, nominees were rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee or even blocked by unfriendly members of the Republican Party. Three of the nominees were renominated by Reagan's successor, President George H. W. Bush. Two of the nominees, Ferdinand Francis Fernandez and Guy G. Hurlbutt, were nominated after July 1, 1988, the traditional start date of the unofficial Thurmond Rule during a presidential election year. Eight of the thirteen seats eventually were filled by appointees of President George H. W. Bush.

Sherman Edward Unger was a former official in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, with his final role being the top lawyer for the United States Department of Commerce. Unger also was a federal judicial nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit at the time of his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gustavo Gelpí</span> American judge (born 1965)

Gustavo Antonio Gelpí Jr. is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He is a former chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L. Steven Grasz</span> American judge (born 1961)

Leonard Steven Grasz is an American attorney and jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Donald Trump, President of the United States from 2017 to 2021, entered office with a significant number of judicial vacancies, including a Supreme Court vacancy due to the death of Antonin Scalia in February 2016. During the first eight months of his presidency, he nominated approximately 50 judges, a significantly higher number than any other recent president had made by that point in his presidency. By June 24, 2020, 200 of his Article III nominees had been confirmed by the United States Senate. According to multiple media outlets, Trump significantly impacted the composition of the Supreme Court and lower courts during his tenure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cory T. Wilson</span> American judge (born 1970)

Cory Todd Wilson is an American attorney and jurist serving as a U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Wilson was previously a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals and a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamika Montgomery-Reeves</span> American judge (born 1981)

Tamika Renee Montgomery-Reeves is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She previously served as an Associate Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court.

President Joe Biden began his presidency with fewer vacancies to fill than his predecessor. He pledged to nominate people with diverse backgrounds and professional experience; further he pledged to nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.