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Assessing President Obama's Appointment of Women to the Federal Appellate Courts Cover

Assessing President Obama's Appointment of Women to the Federal Appellate Courts

By: Laura P. Moyer  
Open Access
|Nov 2021

Figures & Tables

Figure 1

Race and Gender of Circuit Court Appointees.By president (1992–2016)
Race and Gender of Circuit Court Appointees.By president (1992–2016)

Figure 2

Index of Obstruction and Delay, 1978–2016
Slotnick et al., supra note 5, at 379.
Index of Obstruction and Delay, 1978–2016 Slotnick et al., supra note 5, at 379.

Figure 3

Committee and Confirmation Delay for Appeals Court Nominees, by Race and Gender.
Committee and Confirmation Delay for Appeals Court Nominees, by Race and Gender.

Figure 4

Roll Call Votes for Women Nominees to the U.S. Courts of Appeals.Note: Within-president differences are not statistically significant at p < .05 for any president.
Roll Call Votes for Women Nominees to the U.S. Courts of Appeals.Note: Within-president differences are not statistically significant at p < .05 for any president.

Figure 5

Votes to Confirm Appeals Court Nominees.Box plots of roll call votes for successful nomineesNote: There were 29 white men, 12 white women, 4 nonwhite men, and 3 nonwhite women appointed by George W. Bush who received a roll call vote. Among successful Obama nominees who received a roll call vote, 15 were white men, 17 white women, 11 nonwhite men, and 5 were nonwhite women.
Votes to Confirm Appeals Court Nominees.Box plots of roll call votes for successful nomineesNote: There were 29 white men, 12 white women, 4 nonwhite men, and 3 nonwhite women appointed by George W. Bush who received a roll call vote. Among successful Obama nominees who received a roll call vote, 15 were white men, 17 white women, 11 nonwhite men, and 5 were nonwhite women.

Academic Experience_

All JudgesWomenRacial MinorityWhite
All womenAll menNonwhite womenWhite womenWomenMenWomenMen
Obama25% (6/24)35.5% (11/31)20% (1/5)26.3% (5/19)20% (1/5)35.7% (5/14)26.3% (5/19)35.3% (6/17)
GWB29.4% (5/17)44.2% (19/43)66.7% (2/3)21.4% (3/14)66.7% (2/3)20% (1/5)21.4% (3/14)47.4% (18/38)
Clinton35% (7/20)28.3% (13/46)20% (1/5)40% (6/15)20% (1/5)33.3% (4/12)40% (6/15)26.5% (9/34)

Prosecutorial Experience_

All JudgesWomenRacial MinorityWhite
All womenAll menNonwhite womenWhite womenWomenMenWomenMen
Obama41.7% (10/24)45.2% (14/31)40% (2/5)42.1% (8/19)40% (2/5)50% (7/14)42.1% (8/19)41.2% (7/17)
GWB23.5%* (4/17)48.8%* (21/43)33.3% (1/3)21.4% (3/14)33.3% (1/3)40% (2/5)21.4%* (3/14)50%* (19/38)
Clinton35% (7/20)34.8% (16/46)80%** (4/5)20%** (3/15)80%* (4/5)33.3%* (4/12)20% (3/15)35.3% (12/34)

Private Practice Experience_

All JudgesWomenRacial MinorityWhite
All womenAll menNonwhite womenWhite womenWomenMenWomenMen
Obama83.3% (20/24)87.1% (27/31)80% (4/5)84.2% (16/19)80% (4/5)100% (14/14)84.2% (16/19)76.5% (13/17)
GWB82.4% (14/17)90.7% (39/43)66.7% (2/3)85.7% (12/14)66.7% (2/3)80% (4/5)85.7% (12/14)92.1% (35/38)
Clinton85% (17/20)89.1% (41/46)80% (4/5)86.7% (13/15)80% (4/5)91.7% (11/12)86.7% (13/15)88.2% (30/34)

ABA Ratings_

All JudgesWomenRacial MinorityWhite
All womenAll menNonwhite womenWhite womenWomenMenWomenMen
Obama70.8% (17/24)87% (27/31)40%* (2/5)78.9%* (15/19)40%** (2/5)85.7%** (12/14)78.9% (15/19)88.2% (15/17)
GWB70.6% (12/17)69.8% (30/43)66.7% (2/3)71.4% (10/14)66.7% (2/3)40% (2/5)71.4% (10/14)73.7% (28/38)
Clinton80% (16/20)71.7% (33/46)60% (3/5)86.7% (13/15)60% (3/5)58.3% (7/12)86.7% (13/15)76.5% (26/34)

Female appeals court judges appointed by Obama (2009–2016)_

Judicial AppointeeCircuitDate Nominated
Julie E. Carnes11January 6, 2014
Susan Laura Carney2January 5, 2011
Morgan Christen9May 18, 2011
Bernice Bouie Donald6January 5, 2011
Michelle Taryn Friedland9January 6, 2014
Pamela Ann Harris4May 8, 2014
Barbara Milano Keenan4September 14, 2009
Jane Louise Kelly8January 31, 2013
Cheryl Ann Krause3February 6, 2014
Beverly Baldwin Martin11June 19, 2009
Carolyn Baldwin McHugh10January 6, 2014
Patricia Ann MillettD.C.June 4, 2013
Nancy Louise Moritz10January 6, 2014
Mary Helen Murguia9March 25, 2010
Jacqueline Hong-Ngoc Nguyen9September 22, 2011
Kathleen McDonald O’MalleyFed.March 10, 2010
Cornelia Thayer Livingston PillardD.C.June 4, 2013
Jill Anne Pryor11January 6, 2014
Robin Stacie Rosenbaum11January 6, 2014
Patty Shwartz3January 4, 2013
Kara Farnandez StollFed.January 7, 2015
Jane Branstetter Stranch6August 6, 2009
Stephanie Dawn Thacker4September 8, 2011
Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson1October 6, 2009

Judicial Experience_

All JudgesWomenRacial MinorityWhite
All womenAll menNonwhite womenWhite womenWomenMenWomenMen
Obama50% (12/24)54.8% (17/31)80% (4/5)42.1% (8/19)80% (4/5)64.3% (9/14)42.1% (8/19)47.1% (8/17)
GWB58.8% (10/17)51.2% (22/43)66.7% (2/3)57.1% (8/14)66.7% (2/3)80% (4/5)57% (8/14)47.4% (18/38)
Clinton75%** (15/20)43.5%** (20/46)100% (5/5)66.7% (10/15)100% (5/5)75% (9/12)66.7% (10/15)32.4% (11/34)

Law Clerk Experience_

All JudgesWomenRacial MinorityWhite
All womenAll menNonwhite womenWhite womenWomenMenWomenMen
Obama66.7% (16/24)70.9% (22/31)20%** (1/5)78.9%** (15/19)20%* (1/5)64.3%* (9/14)78.9% (15/19)76.5% (13/17)
GWB58.8% (10/17)44.2% (19/43)33% (1/3)64.3% (9/14)33% (1/3)60% (3/5)64.3% (9/14)42.1% (16/38)
Clinton40% (8/20)47.8% (22/46)60% (3/5)33.3% (5/15)60% (3/5)25% (3/12)33% (5/15)55.9% (19/34)

Judicial and Prosecutorial Experience_

All JudgesWomenRacial MinorityWhite
All womenAll menNonwhite womenWhite womenWomenMenWomenMen
Obama29.2% (7/24)25.8% (8/31)40% (2/5)26.3% (5/19)40% (2/5)35.7% (5/14)26.3% (5/19)17.7% (3/17)
GWB11.8% (2/17)23.3% (10/43)33.3% (1/3)7.1% (1/14)33.3% (1/3)20% (1/5)7.1% (1/14)23.7% (9/38)
Clinton35% (7/20)17.4% (8/46)80%** (4/5)20%** (3/15)80%* (4/5)33.3%* (4/12)20% (3/15)11.8% (4/34)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bjals-2021-0008 | Journal eISSN: 2719-5864 | Journal ISSN: 2049-4092
Language: English
Page range: 433 - 455
Published on: Nov 17, 2021
Published by: Birmingham City University
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year

© 2021 Laura P. Moyer, published by Birmingham City University
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.