Leonard P. Stark

Leonard P. Stark
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Assumed office
March 16, 2022
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byKathleen M. O'Malley
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
In office
July 1, 2014 – July 1, 2021
Preceded byGregory M. Sleet
Succeeded byColm Connolly
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
In office
August 10, 2010 – March 17, 2022
Appointed byBarack Obama
Preceded byKent A. Jordan
Succeeded byGregory B. Williams
Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
In office
2007 – August 10, 2010
Personal details
Born (1969-07-05) July 5, 1969 (age 54)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Delaware (BA, BS, MA)
Magdalen College, Oxford (DPhil)
Yale University (JD)

Leonard Philip Stark (born July 5, 1969) is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and was a United States magistrate judge of the same district.

Early life and education[edit]

Born July 5, 1969,[1] in Detroit, Stark earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in history and political science and a Master of Arts in history from the University of Delaware, all in 1991.[2] Stark also earned a Doctor of Philosophy in politics from Magdalen College at the University of Oxford in 1993 as a Rhodes Scholar.[2] Finally, Stark earned a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1996.[2]

Professional career[edit]

From 1996 to 1997, Stark served as a law clerk for United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Judge Walter King Stapleton.[2][3] From 1997 to 2001, Stark was an associate with the Wilmington, Delaware office of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he specialized in corporate and securities law. From 2002 to 2007, Stark served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Wilmington, Delaware.[2][3]

Federal judicial service[edit]

United States magistrate judge tenure[edit]

In 2007, the judges on the United States District Court for the District of Delaware selected Stark to be a United States magistrate judge in Wilmington.[3]

United States district court service[edit]

On March 17, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Stark to fill the district court vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Kent A. Jordan to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 2006.[4] On August 5, 2010, he was confirmed in the United States Senate by voice vote and he received his judicial commission on August 10, 2010. He became Chief Judge on July 1, 2014, and served until July 1, 2021. His service as the district court judge was terminated on March 17, 2022 when he was elevated to the court of appeals.[3]

Court of appeals service[edit]

On November 3, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Stark to serve as a United States circuit judge for the Federal Circuit.[5] President Biden nominated Stark to the seat vacated by Judge Kathleen M. O'Malley, who subsequently retired on March 11, 2022.[6] On December 1, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[7] On January 3, 2022, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate;[8] he was later renominated the same day.[9] On January 13, 2022, his nomination was favorably reported by the committee by a 16–6 vote.[10] On January 20, 2022, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on his nomination. On February 3, 2022, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 54–33 vote.[11] On February 9, 2022, his nomination was confirmed by a 61–35 vote.[12] He received his judicial commission on March 16, 2022.[3] He was sworn in on March 17, 2022.[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Voruganti, Harsh (December 1, 2021). "Judge Leonard Stark – Nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit". The Vetting Room. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e President Obama Nominates Judge Leonard Stark and Amy Totenberg to the United States District Court Archived 2017-02-16 at the Wayback Machine, whitehouse.gov (March 17, 2010).
  3. ^ a b c d e Leonard P. Stark at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  4. ^ Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 3/17/2010, whitehouse.gov (March 17, 2010).
  5. ^ "President Biden Names Ninth Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. November 3, 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. December 1, 2021.
  8. ^ "PN1358 - Nomination of Leonard Philip Stark for The Judiciary, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  9. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. January 3, 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  10. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – January 13, 2022" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  11. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Leonard Philip Stark to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit)". United States Senate. February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  12. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Leonard Philip Stark, of Delaware, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit)". United States Senate. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  13. ^ "Swearing-in of the Honorable Leonard P. Stark". United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. March 17, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2023.

External links[edit]

Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
2010–2022
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
2014–2021
Succeeded by
Preceded by Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
2022–present
Incumbent