Raymond Kethledge

Raymond Kethledge
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office July 7, 2008
Appointed by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	James Ryan
Personal details
Born	(1966-12-11) December 11, 1966 Summit, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Wayne State University

Raymond M. Kethledge (born December 11, 1966 in Summit, New Jersey) is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Background

Kethledge graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in 1989. He began law school at Wayne State University in 1990, but graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993. Kethledge then clerked for Sixth Circuit Judge Ralph B. Guy, Jr. in 1994. After finishing his clerkship, he became judiciary counsel to Michigan Senator Spencer Abraham from 1995-1997. Following that, Kethledge clerked for United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in 1997.

In 1998, Kethledge joined the law firm of Honigman, Miller, Schwartz & Cohn, first as an associate, and then, in 2001, as a partner. That year, he left to become counsel to the Ford Motor Company. In 2002, he joined Feeney, Kellet, Weinner & Bush as a partner, and then became partner at Bush, Seyferth, Kethledge & Paige in 2003.

Sixth Circuit nomination and confirmation

Kethledge was first nominated to the Sixth Circuit by President George W. Bush on June 28, 2006 to replace Judge James L. Ryan. From November 2001 to March 2006, Henry Saad had been nominated to the seat, but he had been filibustered by the Senate Democrats and later withdrew. Kethledge's nomination lapsed when the 109th Congress adjourned in December 2006. Bush again nominated Kethledge on March 19, 2007. However, his nomination stalled for over a year due to opposition from Michigan's two Democratic Senators, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow.

In April 2008, the Bush Administration struck a deal with Levin and Stabenow to break the logjam on judicial nominees to federal courts in Michigan. In exchange for Levin and Stabenow supporting Kethledge's nomination (and that of United States Attorney Stephen J. Murphy III to a district court position), Bush nominated Democratic Michigan state judge Helene White, a failed former Clinton nominee to the Sixth Circuit. Soon afterwards, Kethledge, White and Murphy were granted a joint hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 7, 2008. Kethledge was voted out of committee by voice vote on June 12, 2008. On June 24, 2008, he was confirmed by voice vote, almost exactly two years after his original nomination. He received his commission on July 7, 2008. Kethledge was the eighth judge nominated to the Sixth Circuit by Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate.

Law Reform Work

Kethledge was elected to the American Law Institute in 2013 and currently serves as an Adviser on the Restatement Third, the Law of Consumer Contracts.

See also

• List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States

External links

• Raymond Kethledge at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• White House Profile
• Bush Seyferth Kethledge & Paige PLLC (now known as Bush Seyferth & Paige PLLC)
• Resume at Department of Justice

Legal offices
Preceded by James Ryan	Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit 2008–present	Incumbent