The Trump Administration on Thursday confirmed Judge Michael Park to the New York-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.
Along with Joseph Bianco, who was confirmed on Wednesday, the 2nd is now comprised of 6 Republican-appointed judges and 7 Democratic-appointed judges.
The 2nd hears cases from New York, Vermont, and Connecticut. Because it has jurisdiction over Manhattan, the 2nd hears a significant number of key corporate and securities law cases.
Judges Park and Bianco bring the total number of federal judges confirmed under the Trump Administration to 104.
Here’s how that breaks down:
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- Supreme Court: 2
- Appeals Courts: 39
- District Courts: 63
Since the lower courts hear and decide far more cases than the Supreme Court, Trump’s nominations to the district and appeals courts are perhaps even more important than his additions to SCOTUS.
Most of Trump’s nominees are young, meaning they will exert a conservative influence for decades. And in today’s era of activist judges, this is a major blow to Democrats that will have a massive cultural impact.
“It’s a generational change,” explains Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO). “This president is reshaping the courts for a generation, and thank goodness that he is because we need pro-Constitution, rule-of-law judges. It’s an extraordinary opportunity.”
When Trump took office, the Dems had a 90-71 advantage in appointments of active judges among the Circuit Courts. Now, Republicans lead the way with a margin of 90-83.
Trump flipped his first appeals court (the 3rd) last month, and will likely flip the 2nd later this year when two of its current judges reach “senior status” (age 70) and are required to step down.
Editor’s note: This may not be Trump’s most public victory, but it may be his longest lasting legacy. He is determining how cases will be resolved for a long time to come, and how rapid cultural changes will be. If he should happen to replace one additional Supreme Courts justice, it guarantees two generations of conservative dominated rulings.