Sherri Lydon
2019 - Present
4
Sherri Lydon is a judge on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. On October 15, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Lydon to a seat on this court. The U.S. Senate confirmed Lydon on December 5, 2019, by a vote of 76-13.[1] She received commission on December 10, 2019.[2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina 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 District of South Carolina, click here.
Lydon was the United States attorney for the District of South Carolina from 2018 to 2019.
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On October 15, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Lydon to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. The U.S. Senate confirmed Lydon on December 5, 2019, by a vote of 76-13.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Sherri Lydon |
| Court: United States District Court for the District of South Carolina |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 51 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: October 15, 2019
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: October 16, 2019
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| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: November 7, 2019
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| Confirmed: December 5, 2019
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| Vote: 76-13
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Lydon on December 5, 2019, on a vote of 76-13.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Lydon confirmation vote (December 5, 2019) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
28 | 13 | 4 | ||||||
 Republican |
47 | 0 | 6 | ||||||
 Independent |
1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 76 | 13 | 11 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Lydon 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.[3]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[4]
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.[5] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Sherri Lydon's nomination on October 16, 2019.[6] The committee voted 18-4 on November 7 to advance the nomination to the full Senate.[7]
Nomination
On September 12, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Lydon to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina.[8] The U.S. Senate officially received the nomination on October 15, 2019.[1]
The American Bar Association unanimously rated Sherri Lydon well qualified.[9] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Early life and education
Lydon was born in 1962 at the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base in South Carolina. She earned her B.A. from Clemson University in 1983 and her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1987.[10][11]
Professional career
- 2019-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
- 2018-2019: United States Attorney, District of South Carolina
- 2005-2018: Attorney, Law Office of Sherri A. Lydon
- 2003-2004: Chief, State Grandy Jury, Office of the Attorney General of South Carolina
- 1995-2003: Attorney, Law Office of Sherri A. Lydon
- 1993-1995: Attorney, Daniel, Lydon & Schools, P.A.
- 1990-1993: Assistant U.S. attorney, District of South Carolina
- 1987-1990: Attorney, Nexsen, Pruet, Jacobs & Pollard
- 1986: Law clerk to Leatherwood, Walker, Todd & Mann
- 1985: Law clerk to Nexsen, Pruet, Jacobs & Pollard[11]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2013: Gold Recipient, 2013 Compleat Lawyer Award, University of South Carolina School of Law[11]
Associations
- 2003-present: John Belton O'Neall Inn of Court
- 1996-present, 1987-1993: Richland County Bar Association
- 2017-2018, 2008-2009, 1987-1990: American Bar Association
- 2016, 2014: National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- 2015-2018, 2012-2013: Federal Bar Association[11]
About the court
| District of South Carolina |
|---|
| Fourth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 10 |
| Judges: 9 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Timothy M. Cain |
| Active judges: Jacquelyn Austin, Timothy M. Cain, Donald C. Coggins Jr., Joseph Dawson III, Richard Mark Gergel, Bruce Hendricks, Mary Geiger Lewis, Sherri Lydon, David Norton Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina is one of 94 United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit based in downtown Richmond, Virginia, at the Lewis F. Powell Federal Courthouse.
The District of South Carolina has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
There are eleven court divisions, each covering the following counties:
The Aiken Division, covering Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties
The Anderson Division, covering Anderson, Oconne and Pickens counties
The Beaufort Division, covering Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper counties
The Charleston Division, covering Berkeley, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester and Georgetown counties
The Columbia Division, covering Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Richland and Sumter counties
The Florence Division, covering Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Horry, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg counties
The Greenville Division, covering Greenville and Laurens counties
The Greenwood Division, covering Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, McCormick, Newberry and Saluda counties
The Orangeburg Division, covering Bamberg, Calhoun and Orangeburg counties
The Rock Hill Division, covering Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster and York counties
The Spartanburg Division, covering Cherokee, Spartanburg and Union 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 District Court for the District of South Carolina
- United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
- United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Congress.gov, "PN1173 — Sherri A. Lydon — The Judiciary," accessed October 17, 2019
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Lydon, Sherri Allen," accessed December 12, 2019
- ↑ 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," October 16, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," November 7, 2019
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees," September 12, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees," accessed October 16, 2019
- ↑ Justice.gov, "Meet the U.S. Attorney," accessed September 16, 2019
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Sherri Lydon," accessed October 17, 2019
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the District of South Carolina 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
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| 2018 |
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| 2019 |
Eric Miller • Chad Readler • Eric Murphy • Neomi Rao • Paul Matey • Allison Jones Rushing • Bridget S. Bade • Roy Altman • Patrick Wyrick • Holly Brady • David Morales • Andrew Brasher • J. Campbell Barker • Rodolfo Ruiz • Daniel Domenico • Michael Truncale • Michael Park • Joseph Bianco • Raúl Arias-Marxuach • Daniel Collins • Joshua Wolson • Wendy Vitter • Kenneth Kiyul Lee • Kenneth Bell • Stephen Clark • Howard Nielson • Rodney Smith • Jean-Paul Boulee • Sarah Daggett Morrison • Rossie Alston • Pamela A. Barker • Corey Maze • Greg Guidry • Matthew Kacsmaryk • Allen Winsor • Carl Nichols • James Cain, Jr. • Tom Barber • J. Nicholas Ranjan • Clifton L. Corker • Peter Phipps • Daniel Bress • Damon Leichty • Wendy W. Berger • Peter Welte • Michael Liburdi • William Shaw Stickman • Mark Pittman • Karin J. Immergut • Jason Pulliam • Brantley Starr • Brian Buescher • James Wesley Hendrix • Timothy Reif • Martha Pacold • Sean Jordan • Mary Rowland • John M. Younge • Jeff Brown • Ada Brown • Steven Grimberg • Stephanie A. Gallagher • Steven Seeger • Stephanie Haines • Mary McElroy • David J. Novak • Frank W. Volk • Charles Eskridge • Rachel Kovner • Justin Walker • T. Kent Wetherell • Danielle Hunsaker • Lee Rudofsky • Jennifer Philpott Wilson • William Nardini • Steven Menashi • Robert J. Luck • Eric Komitee • Douglas Cole • John Sinatra • Sarah Pitlyk • Barbara Lagoa • Richard Myers II • Sherri Lydon • Patrick Bumatay • R. Austin Huffaker • Miller Baker • Anuraag Singhal • Karen Marston • Jodi Dishman • Mary Kay Vyskocil • Matthew McFarland • John Gallagher • Bernard Jones • Kea Riggs • Robert J. Colville • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Gary R. Brown • David Barlow • Lewis Liman | ||
| 2020 |
Lawrence VanDyke • Daniel Traynor • John Kness • Joshua Kindred • Philip Halpern • Silvia Carreno-Coll • Scott Rash • John Heil • Anna Manasco • John L. Badalamenti • Drew Tipton • Andrew Brasher • Cory Wilson • Scott Hardy • David Joseph • Matthew Schelp • John Cronan • Justin Walker • Brett H. Ludwig • Christy Wiegand • Thomas Cullen • Diane Gujarati • Stanley Blumenfeld • Mark Scarsi • John Holcomb • Stephen P. McGlynn • Todd Robinson • Hala Jarbou • David Dugan • Iain D. Johnston • Franklin U. Valderrama • John Hinderaker • Roderick Young • Michael Newman • Aileen Cannon • James Knepp • Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson • Toby Crouse • Philip Calabrese • Taylor McNeel • Thomas Kirsch • Stephen Vaden • Katherine Crytzer • Fernando Aenlle-Rocha • Charles Atchley • Joseph Dawson | ||
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of South Carolina • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of South Carolina
State courts:
South Carolina Supreme Court • South Carolina Court of Appeals • South Carolina Circuit Courts • South Carolina Masters-in-Equity • South Carolina Family Courts • South Carolina Magistrate Courts • South Carolina Municipal Courts • South Carolina Probate Courts
State resources:
Courts in South Carolina • South Carolina judicial elections • Judicial selection in South Carolina
