President Obama won a small victory in the U.S. Senate last week as Alaska Supreme Court Justice Morgan Christen was confirmed for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Justice Christen was appointed the Alaska Superior Court in 2001, and became the presiding judge of the state’s Third Judicial District in 2005. In 2009, then-Governor Sarah Palin appointed Justice Christen to the Alaska Supreme Court.

There are still three Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judicial nominees awaiting Senate votes: President Obama nominated District Judge Jacqueline Nguyen, Los Angeles attorney Paul Watford, and Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Hurwitz to the appellate bench in September, October, and November, respectively.

For more news and information from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, including updates on newly confirmed Judge Morgan Christen, add FindLaw’s Ninth Circuit blog to your RSS feed.

December 23, 2011 Editors Note: This post has been updated to reflect that there are three Ninth Circuit nominees awaiting Senate votes, not Senate confirmation hearings. Two of the nominees, Judge Jacqueline Nguyen and Paul Watford, have had Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

Related Resources:

  • President Obama Nominates Justice Morgan Christen for the United States Court of Appeals (White House)
  • Obama Nominates L.A. Attorney Paul Watford to the Ninth Circuit (FindLaw’s Ninth Circuit blog)
  • Panel Unlikely to Find Judicial Misconduct in Cal Prop 8 Appeal (FindLaw’s Ninth Circuit blog)

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