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Senate Confirms Evan Wallach for Federal Circuit

By Robyn Hagan Cain on November 09, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

The Senate unanimously confirmed Judge Evan Wallach for the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday in a 99-0 vote. There was no debate on Wallach's nomination.

Judge Wallach enjoyed a relatively short confirmation process; President Obama nominated Wallach for the Federal Circuit vacancy in July. He is Obama's 23rd nominee to be confirmed to a Circuit Court of Appeals.

Wallach will bring over 15 years' judicial experience to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. He has presided over more than 230 cases to verdict or judgment.

Judge Wallach has served on the United States Court of International Trade in New York since 1995, and has sat by designation on federal trial and appellate courts, hearing more than 80 cases on the Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, and Ninth Circuits.

Wallach holds degrees from the University of Arizona, University of Arizona (BA '73), University of California at Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law (JD, '76), and University of Cambridge Law School (LLB, '81).

Even with the addition of Judge Wallach, the busy Federal Circuit Court of Appeals is still not fully-staffed.

WilmerHale Attorney Edward DuMont continues to toil in the judicial confirmation process almost 18 months after Obama originally nominated him to the bench. Patent law experts, who favor DuMont's nomination, suggest that his confirmation hearing is being delayed because he is openly gay.

In July, the Senate confirmed Paul Oetken as a district judge for the Southern District of New York, marking the first time that body has confirmed an openly gay judge. If confirmed, Edward DuMont will be the first openly gay judge confirmed to the federal appellate bench.

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