Michael Scudder is President Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from Illinois.
Age: 47 (approximate)
Current Position: Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Chicago, IL)
Education:
- B.B.A., St. Joseph’s College (1993)
- J.D., Northwestern University School of Law (1998); Editor-in-Chief, Northwestern University Law Review
Judicial Clerkships: Judge Paul V. Niemeyer, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (1998-1999); Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, U.S. Supreme Court (1999-2000)
Experience:
- 2009-Present: Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Chicago, IL)
- 2007-2009: General Counsel to the National Security Council; Senior Associate Counsel to the President of the United States (Washington, D.C.)
- 2006-2007: Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (Washington, D.C.)
- 2002-2006: Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (New York, NY)
Notable Matters:
- Mr. Scudder’s practice at Skadden focuses on white-collar criminal defense and commercial litigation. He has represented corporations, corporate boards of directors, and corporate officers in internal and government investigations before the DOJ, the SEC, the FDIC, the IRS and the PCAOB.
- As an AUSA in Manhattan, Mr. Scudder handled numerous trials and argued several appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
- Mr. Scudder has taught trial advocacy at Northwester University Law School since 2009 and national security law and criminal law at the University of Chicago since 2013.
- Mr. Scudder is a registered CPA in Illinois and worked for Ernst & Young before attending law school.
Awards: In 2014, Mr. Scudder was recognized for his pro bono work by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. In 2015, Leadership Greater Chicago named Mr. Scudder to its Fellows Program. Mr. Scudder also was named to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Emerging Leaders Class in 2010.