George C. Hanks, Jr.

George Hanks
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Assumed office
April 22, 2015
Appointed by Barack Obama
Preceded by Nancy Atlas
Personal details
Born 1964 (age 51–52)
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, U.S.
Alma mater Louisiana State University
Harvard Law School
Duke University

George Carol Hanks, Jr. (born 1964) is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Biography

Hanks was born in 1964, in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.[1] He graduated first in his class from Louisiana State University in 1986, receiving a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude. He received a Juris Doctor in 1989 from Harvard Law School. He received a Master of Laws degree in 2014 from Duke University Law School. He began his legal career by serving as a law clerk for Judge Sim Lake of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, from 1989 to 1991. He served as an associate at the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski, from 1991 to 1996, and as a shareholder at the law firm of Wickliff & Hall, PC, from 1996 to 2000. In 2001, he was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to be a District Judge for the 157th Civil District Court of Texas. He was subsequently elected to the position in 2002. In 2003, he was again appointed by Governor Perry to serve as a Justice on the First Court of Appeals of Texas. He was elected to the position in 2004 and reelected in 2006. From September 13, 2010 to April 22, 2015, he served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Texas.[2][3][4]

Federal judicial service

On September 18, 2014, President Obama nominated Hanks to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, to the seat vacated by Judge Nancy Friedman Atlas, who took senior status on June 20, 2014.[5] His nomination was praised by both Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.[6]

On December 16, 2014 his nomination was returned to the President due to the sine die adjournment of the 113th Congress. On January 7, 2015, President Obama renominated him to the same position.[7] He received a hearing before the Judiciary Committee on January 21, 2015.[8] On February 26, 2015 his nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote.[9]

On April 20, 2015 the United States Senate voted 91-0 in favor of confirmation.[10] He received his judicial commission on April 22, 2015, and was assigned to the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas.[11] He is the first African-American federal judge to preside over the Galveston court.

Hanks has been mentioned as a possible nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee Nomination Questionnaire
  2. ↑ "President Obama Nominates Seven to Serve on the United States District Courts" White House, September 18, 2014
  3. ↑ Order of appointment as United States Magistrate Judge
  4. ↑ Entry at MartinDale
  5. ↑ "Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate" White House, September 18, 2014
  6. ↑ Cornyn, Cruz applaud nominations for Texas' Southern District judgeships, September 20, 2014
  7. ↑ Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate" White House, January 7, 2015
  8. ↑ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for January 21, 2015
  9. ↑ Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 26, 2015
  10. ↑ U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 114th Congress - 1st Session, "Vote Summary: Vote Number 155", United States Senate, April 20, 2015
  11. ↑ Appointment with history: First African-American to preside over state’s oldest federal judgeship
  12. ↑ Above the Law
Legal offices
Preceded by
Nancy Atlas		 Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
2015–present 		Incumbent
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