Raymond Kethledge

Raymond M. Kethledge (born December 11, 1966 in Summit, New Jersey) is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Background

Kethledge, the son of a Volkswagen executive, grew up in Germany. Kethledge graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in 1989. He began law school at Wayne State University in 1990, but graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993. Kethledge then clerked for Sixth Circuit Judge Ralph B. Guy, Jr. in 1994. After finishing his clerkship, he became judiciary counsel to Michigan Senator Spencer Abraham from 1995-1997. Following that, Kethledge clerked for United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in 1997.

In 1998, Kethledge joined the law firm of Honigman, Miller, Schwartz & Cohn, first as an associate, and then, in 2001, as a partner. That year, he left to become counsel to the Ford Motor Company. In 2002, he joined Feeney, Kellet, Weinner & Bush as a partner, and then became partner at Bush, Seyferth, Kethledge & Paige in 2003.

Sixth Circuit nomination and confirmation

Kethledge was first nominated to the Sixth Circuit by President George W. Bush on June 28, 2006 to replace Judge James L. Ryan. However, that nomination lapsed when the 109th Congress adjourned in December 2006. Bush again nominated Kethledge on March 19, 2007. However, his nomination stalled for over a year due to opposition from Michigan's two Democratic Senators, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow.

In April 2008, the Bush Administration struck a deal with Levin and Stabenow to break the logjam on judicial nominees to federal courts in Michigan. In exchange for Levin and Stabenow supporting Kethledge's nomination (and that of United States Attorney Stephen J. Murphy III to a district court position), Bush nominated Democratic Michigan state judge Helene White, a failed former Clinton nominee to the Sixth Circuit. Soon afterwards, Kethledge, White and Murphy were granted a joint hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 7, 2008. Kethledge was voted out of committee by voice vote on June 12, 2008. On June 24, 2008, he was confirmed by voice vote, almost exactly two years after his original nomination. He received his commission on July 7, 2008. Kethledge was the eighth judge nominated to the Sixth Circuit by Bush and confirmed by the Senate.

ee also

*List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States

External links

* [http://www.fjc.gov/servlet/tGetInfo?jid=3179 Federal Judicial Center Profile]
* [http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/judicialnominees/kethledge.html White House Profile]
* [http://www.bskjuris.com/pages/people/kethledge.html Bush Seyferth Kethledge Paige Profile]
* [http://www.usdoj.gov/olp/kethledgeresume.htm Resume at Department of Justice]

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