Michael Stefan Nachmanoff (born 1968) is an American lawyer who serves as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He served as a magistrate judge of the same court from 2015 to 2021.

Michael S. Nachmanoff
Nachmanoff in 2013
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Assumed office
November 2, 2021
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byAnthony Trenga
Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
In office
March 1, 2015 – November 2, 2021
Personal details
Born1968 (age 55–56)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
EducationWesleyan University (BA)
University of Virginia (JD)

Early life and education

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Nachmanoff was born in 1968 in Washington, D.C.;[1] he grew up in Arlington, Virginia.[2] He received his Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University in 1991 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995.[3] He is Jewish.[4]

Career

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After graduating law school, Nachmanoff served as a law clerk for Judge Leonie Brinkema of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia from 1995 to 1996. After his clerkship, he joined the firm Cohen, Gettings & Dunham, P.C, where he was an associate from 1996 to 2000 and a partner from 2000 to 2002. From 2002 to 2015, Nachmanoff served in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia starting as the first assistant public defender from 2002 to 2005, the acting federal public defender from 2005 to 2007, and the chief federal public defender from 2007 to 2015.[3]

In 2007, he argued the case Kimbrough v. United States before the U.S. Supreme Court, in which the Court ruled district judges have discretion to depart from Federal Sentencing Guidelines in cases involving crack cocaine.[5][6]

Federal judicial service

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Nachmanoff was sworn in as a United States magistrate judge on March 1, 2015.[7]

In April 2021, Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine recommended Nachmanoff to be a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia to the seat vacated by Judge Liam O'Grady.[8] On June 30, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Nachmanoff to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. On July 13, 2021, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Nachmanoff to the seat vacated by Judge Anthony Trenga, who assumed senior status on June 1, 2021.[9] On July 28, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[10] On September 23, 2021, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–9 vote.[11] On October 26, 2021, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 51–46 vote.[12] On October 27, 2021, his nomination was confirmed by a 52–46 vote.[13] He received his judicial commission on November 2, 2021.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Michael Stefan Nachmanoff
  2. ^ "A Brief Introduction to Magistrate Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff" (PDF). The Rocket Docket News. Federal Bar Association. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "President Biden Names Fifth Round of Judicial Nominees", White House, June 30, 2021   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Nachmanoff%20SJQ%20Public%20Final.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ ""Crack" vs. powder cocaine: The sentencing dilemma". SCOTUSBlog. 11 June 2007. Retrieved June 11, 2007.
  6. ^ "Search - Supreme Court of the United States".
  7. ^ "Michael S. Nachmanoff". United States Courts. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  8. ^ "Warner & Kaine Announce Eastern District of Virginia Judicial Recommendations" (Press release). April 27, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, July 13, 2021
  10. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for July 28, 2021
  11. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – September 23, 2021" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Michael S. Nachmanoff to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia)". United States Senate. October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  13. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Michael S. Nachmanoff, of Virginia, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia)". United States Senate. October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  14. ^ Michael S. Nachmanoff at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
2021–present
Incumbent