William Pocan
William Pocan | |
---|---|
Judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court | |
Assumed office July 14, 2006 | |
Appointed by | Jim Doyle |
Preceded by | Michael P. Sullivan |
Personal details | |
Relations | Mark Pocan (brother) |
Education | University of Wisconsin–Parkside (BA) University of Wisconsin–Madison (JD) |
William S. Pocan is an American lawyer and jurist serving as deputy chief judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. He is a nominee to serve as a judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Education
Pocan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin–Parkside in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1984.[1]
Career
Pocan began his career from 1984 to 1985 at Brookhouse & Brookhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin. From 1985 to 2006, he was an associate at Jastroch & LaBarge.[2] In 2006, Pocan was appointed a judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court by Governor Jim Doyle.[3][4] Pocan was subsequently re-elected twice, and became deputy chief judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.[4] At various times, Pocan presided over juvenile, civil, and felony division cases.[5]
Nominations to district court
In 2014, Pocan was one of three finalists recommended to President Barack Obama by the bipartisan Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission to fill a vacancy on the federal district court bench, but Pamela Pepper received the nomination instead.[5]
On December 15, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Pocan to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.[6] Pocan was one of four finalists recommended to the president earlier in 2021 by the Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission.[4] Biden nominated Pocan to the seat vacated by Judge William C. Griesbach, who took senior status on December 31, 2019.[6]
His nomination is pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On February 15, 2022, U.S. senator Ron Johnson announced he would withhold his blue slip, effectively blocking Pocan from receiving a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, despite having previously recommended Pocan in a letter to the White House on June 22, 2021.[7][8]
Personal life
Pocan's brother, Mark Pocan, is a member of the United States House of Representatives for Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district.[9] Pocan is gay.[10][11]
See also
References
- ^ "President Biden Names Eleventh Round of Judicial Nominees". The White House. 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ Voruganti, Harsh (13 January 2022). "Judge William Pocan – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin". The Vetting Room. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ "William Pocan". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ a b c Jeramey Jannene, Biden Appoints Milwaukee Judge William Pocan to Federal Bench, Urban Milwaukee (December 17, 2021).
- ^ a b Gayle Worland, Three nominees for Eastern District Court judgeship named, Wisconsin State Journal (February 15, 2014).
- ^ a b "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Glauber, Bill (February 16, 2022). "Ron Johnson moves to block William Pocan nomination to federal court". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ Alder, Madison (February 16, 2022). "GOP Senator Opposes District Pick, Setting Up Test of Norm (2)". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ Gilbert, Craig. "Baldwin and Johnson bring forward four candidates to fill federal judgeship in Green Bay". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ "Congressional Wisdom: An interview with Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan". Metro Weekly. 2017-04-06. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey. "Biden Appoints Milwaukee Judge William Pocan to Federal Bench". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
- Living people
- 20th-century American lawyers
- 21st-century American judges
- 21st-century American lawyers
- Gay men
- LGBT appointed officials in the United States
- LGBT judges
- LGBT lawyers
- LGBT people from Wisconsin
- Wisconsin lawyers
- University of Wisconsin–Parkside alumni
- University of Wisconsin Law School alumni
- Wisconsin state court judges