Expired nomination to district court under Trump On February 12, 2020, President
Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Rearden to serve as a
United States district judge for the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She had been strongly recommended by
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and was nominated as part of a bipartisan package of judicial nominees. On May 4, 2020, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Rearden to the seat vacated by Judge
Richard J. Sullivan, who was elevated to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on October 25, 2018. On January 3, 2021, her nomination was returned to the President under
Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the
United States Senate.
Renomination to district court under Biden On January 19, 2022, President
Joe Biden nominated Rearden to serve as a
United States district judge of the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She was renominated to the same seat as her previous nomination. Rearden's nomination was criticized by Representative
Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who brought up Rearden's controversial role in the prosecution of
Steven Donziger. Rearden represented
Chevron in its countersuit against Donziger, an
environmental lawyer who brought a class action case against Chevron related to environmental damage and health effects caused by oil drilling. On March 2, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee. On April 4, 2022, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 22–0 vote. On September 8, 2022, the
United States Senate confirmed her nomination by a
voice vote. After the Senate confirmed her nomination, U.S. Senator
Elizabeth Warren said that she would have voted "no" if the Senate had conducted a roll call vote on Rearden's nomination. She received her judicial commission on October 7, 2022. == See also ==