kids encyclopedia robot

Andre Mathis facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Andre Mathis
Andre Mathis Judiciary Committee.png
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Assumed office
September 27, 2022
Appointed by Joe Biden
Preceded by Bernice B. Donald
Personal details
Born 1980 (age 44–45)
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Education University of Memphis (BA, JD)

Andre Bernard Mathis (born in 1980) is an American lawyer. He serves as a United States circuit judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. This court hears appeals from lower courts in several states.

Andre Mathis's Education

Andre Mathis studied at the University of Memphis. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2003. Later, he received his Juris Doctor degree in 2007 from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. A Juris Doctor is the degree needed to become a lawyer.

Andre Mathis's Career Journey

After finishing law school, Andre Mathis started working at a law firm called Glankler Brown in Memphis, Tennessee. He helped people who were accused of crimes. He also worked with the Tennessee Innocence Project, which helps people who might have been wrongly convicted.

He was part of groups that helped choose judges and other legal officials. From 2010 to 2011, and again from 2019 to 2020, he served on a panel that selected Magistrate Judges for a federal court in Tennessee. He also helped choose federal defenders for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 2012 to 2013.

Andre Mathis also worked on committees that made sure lawyers and public officials acted fairly. He was on the Disciplinary Hearing Committee of the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility from 2015 to 2021. He also served on the Shelby County Ethics Commission from 2013 to 2017. In January 2020, he joined another law firm called Butler Snow LLP.

Becoming a Federal Judge

On November 17, 2021, President Joe Biden announced that he wanted to nominate Andre Mathis to be a United States circuit judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. This nomination was sent to the Senate the next day. He was nominated to take the place of Judge Bernice B. Donald, who was planning to retire.

His nomination caused some discussion because the two senators from Tennessee did not give their usual approval, known as a "blue slip." They said the White House had not talked to them enough about the nomination. On January 3, 2022, his nomination was sent back to the President, but he was nominated again later that same day.

On January 12, 2022, a hearing was held about his nomination. During this hearing, Senator Marsha Blackburn mentioned that she had not received a "blue slip" asking for her support. The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dick Durbin, apologized for this mistake. Senator Blackburn also raised concerns about Mathis's experience in federal law.

On February 10, 2022, the committee voted 12–10 to approve his nomination. On September 7, 2022, the United States Senate voted to move forward with his nomination. Finally, on September 8, 2022, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 48–47. Senator John Kennedy voted with the other party to help confirm Mathis.

Andre Mathis became the first Black man to be confirmed to any federal circuit court in many years. He officially started his role as a judge on September 27, 2022.

More to Explore

kids search engine
Andre Mathis Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.