President Donald Trump nominated Mississippi appellate attorney G. Todd Butler to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, where he would succeed Judge Leslie Southwick and hear federal appeals from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is nominating Mississippi attorney G. Todd Butler to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, selecting an experienced appellate lawyer and former Fifth Circuit clerk for a seat on one of the nation’s most consequential federal appeals courts.
Butler would succeed Judge Leslie H. Southwick, who has elected to take senior status. The connection is notable because Butler previously served as a judicial law clerk to Southwick on the Fifth Circuit before entering private practice.
“Todd has the unwavering support of Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The wonderful people of the Great State of Mississippi (one of my favorites!), and the rest of the Fifth Circuit, can count on Todd to protect the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Congratulations Todd!”
Mississippi Republican Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith immediately endorsed the nomination and pledged to work toward Butler’s confirmation. In a joint announcement from Wicker’s office, the senators described him as an attorney committed to interpreting the Constitution according to its text and original meaning.
“Todd Butler is an excellent pick for the federal bench. He believes in interpreting the law as it is written, pursuant to the text and original meaning of the Constitution—exactly the quality that should characterize a jurist,” Wicker and Hyde-Smith said. “Mr. Butler is a credit to his home state of Mississippi. We look forward to his swift confirmation.”
Butler is the managing partner of Phelps Dunbar’s Jackson, Mississippi, office and concentrates his practice on appellate litigation, constitutional law, civil rights and labor and employment disputes. According to his professional biography, he represents public and private clients and has appeared before the Fifth Circuit as well as federal district courts in Mississippi.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, summa cum laude, from Mississippi State University in 2005 and a law degree, also summa cum laude, from Mississippi College School of Law in 2008. He later became an adjunct professor at the law school and has served as chairman of the Mississippi Bar’s Appellate Practice Section.
Butler also serves as general counsel to several organizations representing Mississippi municipalities and public entities. His work has included constitutional, employment and civil-rights litigation involving local governments and law enforcement, along with appellate matters reaching federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Fifth Circuit hears appeals from federal courts in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi and frequently handles major disputes involving immigration, energy, environmental regulation, abortion, firearms, voting laws and executive authority. Its rulings have played an important role in litigation over Trump administration policies, with some cases ultimately reaching the Supreme Court.
Butler’s nomination must be formally considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee before it can advance to the full Senate for confirmation. His selection comes as Trump continues filling appellate vacancies during his second term, potentially shaping federal law long after his presidency ends because Article III judges receive lifetime appointments.
If confirmed, Butler would return to the same appellate court where he once worked as Southwick’s law clerk — this time occupying the seat of the judge for whom he previously served.
Original article
Comments