{{Short description|American judge (born 1979)}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Jerry Edwards Jr. | honorific_suffix = | image = Jerry Edwards Jr.jpg | alt = | caption = | office = Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana | term_start = December 22, 2023 | term_end = | appointer = Joe Biden | predecessor = Michael J. Juneau | successor = | pronunciation = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1979}} | birth_place = Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | party = | spouse = | education = Georgia State University (BA)<br>Vermont Law and Graduate School (JD) }}
'''Jerry Edwards Jr.''' (born 1979)<ref name="Questionnaire">{{Cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/edwards_sjq.pdf|title=Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|access-date=July 10, 2023}}</ref> is an American lawyer from Louisiana who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana since 2023. He previously served as the first assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana from 2022 to 2023.
== Education ==
Edwards received a Bachelor of Arts from Georgia State University in 2002 and a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law and Graduate School in 2005.<ref name="WHBio">{{Cite press release |title=President Biden Names Thirty-Fourth Round of Judicial Nominees and One New Nominee to Serve as U.S. Attorney |date=June 7, 2023 |publisher=The White House |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/07/president-biden-names-thirty-fourth-round-of-judicial-nominees-and-one-new-nominee-to-serve-as-u-s-attorney/ |access-date=June 7, 2023}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>
== Career ==
From 2005 to 2006, Edwards served as a law clerk for Judges Jeanette G. Garrett and Scott Crichton of the Caddo Parish District Court. From 2006 to 2014, he was an associate at Blanchard, Walker, O’Quin & Roberts, A.P.L.C. in Shreveport and from 2014 to 2019, he was a shareholder and director at the same firm, where he focused on civil law, including torts and contracts. From 2019 to 2023, he served as an assistant United States attorney at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana. While at the U.S. Attorney's Office, he served as Chief of the Civil Division from 2020 to 2022 and from 2022 to 2023, he served as the first assistant U.S. attorney.<ref name="WHBio" /> In that capacity, he focused on white collar crime, public corruption, and money laundering.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/new-orleans-nominee-quizzed-about-hunter-bidens-laptop/article_2902908e-20f0-11ee-a1f8-db80caaa86dd.html|title=New Orleans judge nominee quizzed on Hunter Biden's laptop | Local Politics | nola.com|website=www.nola.com|date=12 July 2023 }}</ref>
=== Federal judicial service ===
On June 7, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Edwards to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.<ref name="WHBio" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gangitano |first=Alex |date=June 7, 2023 |title=Biden names two Louisiana judicial nominee picks |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4038161-biden-names-two-louisiana-judicial-nominee-picks/ |access-date=June 7, 2023 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref> Soon after the nomination was announced, Senator Bill Cassidy announced his support.<ref name="shreveporttimes">{{Cite web |last=Hilburn |first=Greg |date=June 8, 2023 |title=Biden nominates Shreveport attorney to be first Black Louisiana Western District judge |url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2023/06/08/biden-nominates-shreveport-attorney-to-be-first-black-federal-judge-in-louisiana-western-district/70301231007/ |access-date=July 30, 2023 |website=The Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus wrote a letter<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23837104-0084_001 | title=Letter to request withdrawal of Louisiana nominees | website=White House | date=June 7, 2023 }}</ref> to President Joe Biden asking him to withdraw the nominations of Edwards and Brandon Scott Long because the sole Democratic lawmaker from Louisiana, Representative Troy Carter, had not been properly consulted on multiple judicial nominations.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/06-7-2023/carter/ | title=Top Congressional Black Caucus members are calling for the Biden administration to yank two judicial nominations | website=Politico | date=June 7, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/biden-announces-plans-to-nominate-two-trial-judges-in-louisiana | title=Biden Louisiana Judge Picks Win Over GOP, Anger Black Caucus | website=Bloomberglaw.com| date=June 7, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/president-biden-chooses-two-to-fill-vacancies-on-louisianas-u-s-district-courts/article_c41ea13a-052e-11ee-8dd4-6b7da0bbfe18.html | title=Joe Biden taps 2 to fill vacancies on Louisiana's U.S. District Courts - and is blasted | website=Nola.com| date=June 7, 2023 }}</ref> On June 8, 2023, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Edwards to the seat vacated by Judge Michael J. Juneau, who assumed senior status on February 1, 2022.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Nominations Sent to the Senate |date=June 8, 2023|publisher=The White House |location=Washington, D.C. |url= https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/06/08/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-109/}}</ref> On July 12, 2023, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nominations|date=July 10, 2023|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|location=Washington, D.C.|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/07/12/2023/nominations}}</ref> During his confirmation hearing, Senator Marsha Blackburn questioned him whether he would be overwhelmed by the criminal cases federal judges handle given that his background is in civil law.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ballard|first=Mark|title=Federal judge nominee for New Orleans quizzed about Hunter Biden's laptop|url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/new-orleans-nominee-quizzed-about-hunter-bidens-laptop/article_2902908e-20f0-11ee-a1f8-db80caaa86dd.html|website=nola.com|access-date=July 12, 2023|language=en-US}}</ref> On July 12, 2023, U.S. Representative Steven Horsford sent a letter<ref name="Letter to Dick Durbin">{{Cite web |date=July 12, 2023 |title=Congressional Black Caucus letter to Dick Durbin |website=Politico |url=https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000189-4a41-da75-a98b-dfe7c34e0000 |language=en-US}}</ref> to Senate Judiciary chairman Dick Durbin saying the Congressional Black Caucus would oppose the Senate Judiciary Committee's consideration of Edwards Jr. and fellow nominee Brandon Scott Long, pending changes to the committee's "blue slip" policy.<ref name="Congressional Black Caucus vows to oppose">{{Cite web |date=July 12, 2023 |title=Congressional Black Caucus vows to oppose Senate Judiciary's consideration of two judges over 'blue slip' policy |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4094527-congressional-black-caucus-vows-to-oppose-senate-judiciarys-consideration-of-two-judges-over-blue-slip-policy/ |language=en-US}}</ref> On September 14, 2023, his nomination was reported out of the committee by a 16–5 vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2023-09-14_-_ebm_-_results.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – September 14, 2023|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|accessdate=September 14, 2023}}</ref> On December 14, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 66–31 vote, with Senator Bob Menendez voting against the motion to invoke cloture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00344.htm|title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Jerry Edwards Jr. to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana)|website=United States Senate|date=December 14, 2023|access-date=December 14, 2023}}</ref> Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 66–24 vote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00345.htm|title=On the Nomination (Confirmation: Jerry Edwards Jr., of Louisiana, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana)|website=United States Senate|date=December 14, 2023|access-date=December 14, 2023}}</ref> He received his judicial commission on December 22, 2023.<ref>{{FJC Bio|nid=13761406|inline=yes}}</ref> He began his service on the bench on December 23, 2023.<ref>{{Cite press release|date=December 28, 2023|title=U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown Announces the Confirmation of Jerry Edwards, Jr. as Federal Judge for the Western District of Louisiana|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/us-attorney-brandon-b-brown-announces-confirmation-jerry-edwards-jr-federal-judge|website=justice.gov|access-date=January 4, 2024}}</ref> Edwards became the first person of color to serve on the Western District of Louisiana.<ref name="shreveporttimes" /><ref name="Reuters">{{Cite web |last=Thomsen |first=Jacqueline |date=June 7, 2023 |title=Biden taps US prosecutors for federal judgeships in Louisiana |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/biden-taps-us-prosecutors-federal-judgeships-louisiana-2023-06-07/ |access-date=June 7, 2023 |website=Reuters |language=en}}</ref>
== See also == * List of African American federal judges * List of African American jurists
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{FJC Bio|nid=13761406}}
{{s-start}} {{s-legal}} {{s-bef|before=Michael J. Juneau}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana}}|years=2023–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}} {{United States 5th Circuit district judges}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Jerry Jr.}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:21st-century African-American lawyers Category:African-American judges Category:Assistant United States attorneys Category:Georgia State University alumni Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana Category:Louisiana lawyers Category:Lawyers from Shreveport, Louisiana Category:United States district court judges appointed by Joe Biden Category:Vermont Law and Graduate School alumni