Stephen Clark (Missouri)
2019 - Present
5
Stephen R. Clark is the chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. On April 12, 2018, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Clark to serve on this court.[1] The U.S. Senate confirmed Clark on May 22, 2019, on a 53-45 vote.[2] He received commission on June 12, 2019. Clark became the chief judge of the court in 2022.[3] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri 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.
Clark was the founder and managing partner of the Runnymede Law Group in St. Louis, Missouri, from 2008 to 2019.[4]
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On April 12, 2018, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Clark to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.[1] The U.S. Senate confirmed Clark on May 22, 2019, on a 53-45 vote.[2] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Stephen Clark |
| Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 405 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: April 12, 2018
|
| ABA Rating: Substantial Majority Well Qualified/Minority Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: July 11, 2018
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: September 13, 2018 (first)/February 7, 2019 (second)
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| Confirmed: May 22, 2019
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| Vote: 53-45
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Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Clark on May 22, 2019, on a vote of 53-45.[2] Senator Joe Manchin (D) of West Virginia was the only Democrat to vote in favor of Clark's confirmation. To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Clark confirmation vote (May 22, 2019) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
1 | 43 | 1 | ||||||
 Republican |
52 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
 Independent |
0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 53 | 45 | 2 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Clark 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.[5]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[6]
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.[7] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Clark's nomination on July 11, 2018. His nomination was reported out of committee on September 13, 2018, by an 11-10 vote.[8][9]
The Senate Judiciary Committee favorably reported Clark's nomination on February 7, 2019.[10] Click here to see how the committee voted. Clark's nomination was one of 44 that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reported that day.
Nomination
Clark was nominated to succeed Judge Carol Jackson, who retired on August 31, 2017.
At the sine die adjournment of the 115th Congress on January 3, 2019, the Senate returned Clark's nomination to President Trump.[11] Clark was one of 51 individuals the president re-nominated on January 23, 2019.[12]
The American Bar Association rated Clark well qualified by a substantial majority and qualified by a minority for the position.[13] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Early life and education
Clark was born in Evanston, Illinois, in 1966. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1988. He obtained his J.D. from the St. Louis University School of Law in 1991.[1][4]
Professional career
- 2019-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- 2022 - Present: Chief judge
- 2008-2019: Founding and managing partner, Runnymede Law Group in St. Louis, Missouri
- 2006-2008: Partner, Husch Blackwell, LLP in St. Louis
- 1999-2006: Shareholder, Polsinelli P.C. in St. Louis
- 1993-1997: Municipal prosecutor, City of Black Jack, Missouri
- 1991-1999: Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C. in St. Louis
- 1998-1999: Officer
- 1991-1998: Associate[4]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2007: Top Flight Award for Excellence in Business Generation, Blackwell Sanders LLP[4]
Associations
- American Bar Association
- Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
- Illinois State Bar Association
- Kansas Bar Association
- Missouri Bar
- Federalist Society
- Lawyers for Life, Inc.
- Notre Dame Lawyers Association
- Republican National Lawyers Association[4]
About the court
| Eastern District of Missouri |
|---|
| Eighth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 9 |
| Judges: 5 |
| Vacancies: 4 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Stephen Clark |
| Active judges: Henry Autrey, Stephen Clark, Sarah Pitlyk, Matthew Schelp, Brian C. Wimes Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri is one of 94 United States district courts. The district operates out of courthouses in Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, and Hannibal, Missouri. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, based in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, at the Thomas F. Eagleton Federal Courthouse and Building.
The Eastern District of Missouri 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 Missouri consists of all the following counties in the eastern part of the state of Missouri.
There are three court divisions, each covering the following counties:
The Eastern Division, covering Crawford, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Iron, Jefferson, Lincoln, Maries, Phelps, Saint Charles, Saint Francois, Sainte Genevieve, Saint Louis, Warren and Washington counties, as well as the City of St. Louis.
The Northern Division, covering Adair, Audrain, Chariton, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland and Shelby counties.
The Southeastern Division, covering Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard and Wayne counties.
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
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 Eastern District of Missouri
- United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- LinkedIn profile
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 White House, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Twelfth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Twelfth Wave of United States Attorneys, and Sixth Wave of United States Marshals," April 10, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Congress.gov, "PN226 — Stephen R. Clark Sr. — The Judiciary," accessed May 23, 2019
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Clark, Stephen Robert, Sr.," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Stephen Robert Clark, Sr.," accessed May 23, 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, "Results of the Executive Business Meeting," September 13, 2018
- ↑ Congress.gov, "PN1829 — Stephen R. Clark Sr. — The Judiciary," accessed September 14, 2018
- ↑ U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," February 7, 2019
- ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days. Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 11, 2017
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "Nominations Sent to the Senate," January 23, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article I judicial nominees: 115th Congress," accessed September 14, 2018
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
Thomas Parker • Elizabeth Branch • Neil Gorsuch • Amul Thapar • David C. Nye • John K. Bush • Kevin Newsom • Timothy J. Kelly • Ralph Erickson • Scott Palk • Trevor McFadden • Joan Larsen • Amy Coney Barrett • Allison Eid • Stephanos Bibas • Donald Coggins Jr. • Dabney Friedrich • Greg Katsas • Steven Grasz • Don Willett • James Ho • William L. Campbell Jr. • David Stras • Tilman E. Self III • Karen Gren Scholer • Terry A. Doughty • Claria Horn Boom • John Broomes • Rebecca Grady Jennings • Kyle Duncan • Kurt Engelhardt • Michael B. Brennan • Joel Carson • Robert Wier • Fernando Rodriguez Jr. • Annemarie Carney Axon • | ||
| 2018 |
Andrew Oldham • Amy St. Eve • Michael Scudder • John Nalbandian • Mark Bennett • Andrew Oldham • Britt Grant • Colm Connolly • Maryellen Noreika • Jill Otake • Jeffrey Beaverstock • Emily Coody Marks • Holly Lou Teeter • Julius Richardson • Charles B. Goodwin • Barry Ashe • Stan Baker • A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. • Terry F. Moorer • Susan Baxter • William Jung • Alan Albright • Dominic Lanza • Eric Tostrud • Charles Williams • Nancy E. Brasel • James Sweeney • Kari A. Dooley • Marilyn J. Horan • Robert Summerhays • Brett Kavanaugh • David Porter • Liles Burke • Michael Juneau • Peter Phipps • Lance Walker • Richard Sullivan • Eli Richardson • Ryan Nelson • Chad F. Kenney, Sr. • Susan Brnovich • William M. Ray, II • Jeremy Kernodle • Thomas Kleeh • J.P. Hanlon • Mark Norris • Jonathan Kobes • Michael Brown • David Counts | ||
| 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:
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Missouri, Western District of Missouri
State courts:
Missouri Supreme Court • Missouri Court of Appeals • Missouri Circuit Courts • Missouri Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Missouri • Missouri judicial elections • Judicial selection in Missouri
