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Tilman E. Self III

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Tilman E. Self
Image of Tilman E. Self
United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
Tenure

2018 - Present

Years in position

7

Prior offices
Georgia Court of Appeals

Education

Bachelor's

The Military College of South Carolina, 1990

Law

University of Georgia School of Law, 1997

Personal
Birthplace
Macon-Bibb County, Ga.
Contact

Tilman E. "Tripp" Self III is a judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. He was nominated to the court by President Donald Trump (R) on July 13, 2017, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 5, 2018, by a vote of 85-11.[1] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.

Self was a judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals from 2017 to 2018. Before that, he was a superior court judge on the Macon Circuit in Georgia, from 2007 to 2016.[2]

Judicial nominations, appointments, and elections

United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia (2018-present)

See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

Self was nominated to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia by President Donald Trump (R) on July 13, 2017. The U.S. Senate confirmed Self on March 5, 2018, by a vote of 85-11.[1] He received commission on March 7, 2018.[2] To read more about the federal nomination process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Tilman Eugene Self III
Court: United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
Progress
Confirmed 235 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: July 13, 2017
ApprovedAABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: October 4, 2017
QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: October 26, 2017 
ApprovedAConfirmed: March 5, 2018
ApprovedAVote: 85-11


Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Self on March 5, 2018, on a vote of 85-11.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

Self confirmation vote (March 5, 2018)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 37 10 0
Ends.png Republican 47 0 4
Grey.png Independent 1 1 0
Total 85 11 4

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Self had his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on October 4, 2017. The committee voted to advance Self's nomination to the full Senate on October 26, 2017.[1]

Nomination

Self was nominated to replace Judge Ashley Royal, who assumed senior status on September 1, 2016.[3]

The American Bar Association unanimously rated Self well qualified for the position.[4] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Georgia Court of Appeals (2017-2018)

See also: Judges appointed by Nathan Deal

Self was a judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals from 2017 to 2018.[2] He was nominated by Governor Nathan Deal (R) in 2016 to succeed Nels Peterson, who was appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court.[5]

Superior Court of Georgia, Macon Judicial Circuit (2007-2016)

Self was a superior court judge on the Macon Circuit from 2007 to 2016. He was first elected in 2006. Self served as chief judge from 2014 to 2016.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

2014 election

See also: Georgia judicial elections, 2014

Self ran for re-election to the Macon Judicial Circuit. He won without opposition in the general election on May 20, 2014.[6][7]

2010 election

See also: Georgia judicial elections, 2010

Self was re-elected to the Macon Circuit after running unopposed.[8][9]

Education

Self received his undergraduate degree from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, and his J.D. from the University of Georgia. He was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 1997.[10]

Professional career

Approach to the law

During his 2006 election campaign, Self commented in The Georgia Informer,

I understand that I work for the community, not the other way around. I will be accessible to the public and accountable to the people.[11][12]
—Tilman E. Self III

Noteworthy events

Federal judges sign letter regarding hiring Columbia University students (2024)

On May 6, 2024, Self and 12 other federal judges signed a letter to Columbia University saying they would not hire undergraduates or law students from the university, beginning with the entering class of 2024.[13]

In the letter, the judges said, "As judges who hire law clerks every year to serve in the federal judiciary, we have lost confidence in Columbia as an institution of higher education."[14]

They signed the letter in the context of student demonstrations at Columbia University over the Israel-Hamas War. The students who participated in the demonstrations demanded that the university divest all of its finances from "companies and institutions that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine."[15]

The judges said they believed the university should institute consequences for faculty and students who participated in the demonstrations. They also called on the university to practice "neutrality and nondiscrimination in the protection of freedom of speech" and "viewpoint diversity on the faculty and across the administration."[14]

The Washington Post reported that Dean of Columbia Law School Gillian Lester said in a statement that graduates are "consistently sought out by leading employers in the private and public sectors, including the judiciary." Lester did not directly address the letter.[13]


About the court

Middle District of Georgia
Eleventh Circuit
Georgia-middle.gif
Judgeships
Posts: 4
Judges: 4
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief: Leslie Abrams Gardner
Active judges:
Leslie Abrams Gardner, Clay Land, Tilman E. Self, Marc Thomas Treadwell

Senior judges:
C. Ashley Royal, Willie Sands


The United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia is one of 94 United States district courts. The district operates out of courthouses in Macon, Albany, Athens, Columbus, and Valdosta. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit based in downtown Atlanta at the Elbert P. Tuttle Federal Courthouse.

The Counties of the Middle District of Georgia (click for larger map)

The Middle District of Georgia has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

There are seven court divisions, each covering the following counties:

The Albany Division, covering Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty, Early, Miller, Mitchell, Turner, and Worth counties.

The Americus Division, covering Ben Hill, Crisp, Dooly, Lee, Macon, Schley, Sumter, Terrell, Webster, and Wilcox counties.

The Athens Division, covering Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Greene, Hart, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton counties.

The Columbus Division, covering Chattahoochee, Clay, Harris, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart, Talbot, and Taylor counties.

The Macon Division, covering Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Crawford, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs, Upson, Washington, and Wilkinson counties.

The Thomasville Division, covering Brooks, Colquitt, Decatur, Grady, Seminole, and Thomas counties.

The Valdosta Division, covering Berrien, Clinch, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, and Tift counties.

To read opinions published by this court, click here.

See also

External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
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United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
2018-Present
Succeeded by
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Preceded by
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Georgia Court of Appeals
2007-2018
Succeeded by
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