Brett H. Ludwig
2020 - Present
4
Brett H. Ludwig is a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) on March 3, 2020. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 9, 2020, by a 91-5 vote.[1] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin 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.
Ludwig was a judge on the United States bankruptcy court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, from 2017 to 2020. He also heard cases within the jurisdiction of the United States bankruptcy court, Western District of Wisconsin.[2]
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin (2020-present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On March 3, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Ludwig to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The U.S. Senate confirmed Ludwig on September 9, 2020, by a vote of 91-5.[1] He received commission on September 10.[3] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Brett Ludwig |
| Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 190 days after nomination. |
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Ludwig on September 9, 2020, on a vote of 91-5.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Ludwig confirmation vote (September 9, 2020) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
| 37 | 5 | 3 | |||||||
| 53 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| Total | 91 | 5 | 4 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Ludwig was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.
On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.[4]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[5]
It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[6] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Ludwig had his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 17, 2020.[7] The committee advanced Ludwig's nomination to the full Senate on July 23, 2020.[8]
Nomination
On February 26, 2020, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Ludwig to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.[9] The president officially nominated Ludwig on March 3.[1]
Ludwig was nominated to replace Judge Rudolph Randa, who assumed senior status on February 5, 2016, and died later that year.[10]
Ludwig was recommended to the White House in December by Wisconsin Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D) and Ron Johnson (R).[10]
The American Bar Association rated Ludwig well qualified by a substantial majority and qualified by a minority for the position.[11] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
United States bankruptcy court, Eastern District of Wisconsin (2017-2020)
Ludwig became a judge on the United States bankruptcy court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, on February 2, 2017. He also heard cases within the jurisdiction of the United States bankruptcy court, Western District of Wisconsin. He left his position as a bankruptcy judge in 2020 after his confirmation to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on September 9, 2020.
Early life and education
Ludwig was born in 1969 in Marshfield, Wisconsin. He earned his B.A. with highest honors from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1991 and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1994. During his legal studies, Ludwig served as the managing editor for the University of Minnesota Law Review. He was also Order of the Coif.[9][12]
Career
- 2020-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- 2017-2020: Federal bankruptcy judge, United States bankruptcy court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
- 1995-2017: Foley & Lardner LLP
- 2003-2017: Partner
- 1995-2003: Associate
- 2016-2017: Adjunct professor, Marquette University Law School
- 1994-1995: Law clerk to Judge George Fagg, United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit[12]
Associations
- American Bankruptcy Institute
- Eastern District of Wisconsin Bar Association
- Fox Point Foundation
- Mequon Thiensville Education Foundation
- Milwaukee Bar Association
- National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges
- Ozaukee County Bar Association
- Seventh Circuit Bar Association[12]
About the court
| Eastern District of Wisconsin |
|---|
| Seventh Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 5 |
| Judges: 5 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Pamela Pepper |
| Active judges: Lynn Adelman, Byron Conway, Brett Harry Ludwig, Pamela Pepper, Joseph Stadtmueller Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin is one of 94 United States district courts. It encompasses much of the eastern half of the state and is split between the Green Bay Division and the main courthouse in the Milwaukee Division.[13]
When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, based in Chicago, Illinois, at the Everett M. Dirksen Federal Courthouse and Building.
The Eastern District of Wisconsin has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The geographic jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Wisconsin consists of all the following counties in the eastern part of the state of Wisconsin.
There are two court divisions, each covering the following counties:
The Green Bay Division, covering Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Forest, Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago counties
The Milwaukee Division, covering Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kenosha, Marquette, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha counties
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- United States bankruptcy court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
- United States bankruptcy court, Western District of Wisconsin
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Congress.gov, "PN1662 — Brett H. Ludwig — The Judiciary," accessed March 4, 2020
- ↑ U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, "Brett H. Ludwig Named U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge," January 26, 2017
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Ludwig, Brett Harry," accessed September 11, 2020
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Nominations," accessed June 17, 2020
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," July 23, 2020
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees, a United States Attorney Nominee, and a United States Marshal Nominee," February 26, 2020
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Trump names bankruptcy judge to long-empty seat on District Court in Milwaukee," February 26, 2020
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV Judicial Nominees," accessed June 17, 2020
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Brett Harry Ludwig," accessed June 17, 2020
- ↑ U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, "Official Website," accessed April 30, 2021
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin 2020-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
United States Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Wisconsin 2017-2020 |
Succeeded by Rachel Blise |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: Pamela Pepper • Joseph Stadtmueller • Lynn Adelman • Brett H. Ludwig • Byron Conway | ||
| Senior judges | |||
| Magistrate judges | Nancy Joseph • William E. Duffin • Stephen Dries • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
Charles Clevert • Thomas Curran • Terence Evans • Andrew Galbraith Miller • Charles Dyer • James Henry Howe • James Graham Jenkins (Wisconsin) • William Henry Seaman • Joseph Very Quarles • Ferdinand August Geiger • Francis Duffy • Kenneth Grubb • John Reynolds (Wisconsin) • Robert Tehan • Robert Warren • Myron Gordon • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Rudolph Randa • Charles Clevert • Joseph Stadtmueller • William Griesbach • Terence Evans • John Reynolds (Wisconsin) • Robert Tehan • Robert Warren • | ||
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin
State courts:
Wisconsin Supreme Court • Wisconsin Court of Appeals • Wisconsin Circuit Courts • Wisconsin Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Wisconsin • Wisconsin judicial elections • Judicial selection in Wisconsin