President Barack Obama nominated adjunct law professor Andrew Hurwitz Wednesday to serve on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The nomination begins the appointment process to fill the vacancy of Judge Mary Schroeder who will soon assume a part-time status.
Hurwitz, the vice chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, must fill out a comprehensive questionnaire as part of the appointment process. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee must then conduct a confirmation hearing. The committee’s website states if the nomination is reported to the Senate, a majority of Senate votes are required to confirm Hurwitz’s appointment.
Arizona Supreme Court spokeswoman Jennifer Liewer said it’s likely Hurwitz will take the position if appointed, leading him to resign from the state court.
Hurwitz could not be immediately reached for comment.
Liewer was unsure if Hurwitz would choose to resign from his position at ASU and said he would not make a decision until the appointment was finalized.
In a written statement, Douglas Sylvester, interim dean of ASU’s law school, said the school congratulates Hurwitz and wishes him the best.
“Andy Hurwitz is one of the premier jurists of our time, a longtime friend of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and a treasured adjunct professor,” Sylvester said.
Law school spokeswoman Janie Magruder said Hurwitz has taught law courses off and on for 34 years and is currently teaching civil procedure.
Hurwitz received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1968 and his law degree from Yale in 1972. After law school he served in the Connecticut Army National Guard and clerked for two judges and one justice, according to a White House press release.
Hurwitz has served as vice chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court since 2009.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit meets in Seattle, San Francisco, Honolulu, Portland, Ore., and Pasadena, Calif., and is authorized for 29 judgeships, four of which are vacant.
JudicialNominations.org, a project of the American Constitution Society, said Obama has nominated 155 justices and 106 have been confirmed as of Oct. 14.
Reach the reporter at sksmith9@asu.edu
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