Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach

Raúl Manuel Arias-Marxuach (born 1967) is the Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.

Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
Assumed office
October 20, 2021
Preceded byGustavo Gelpí
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
Assumed office
May 13, 2019
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byJosé A. Fusté
Personal details
Born
Raúl Manuel Arias-Marxuach

1967 (age 55–56)
San Juan, Puerto Rico
EducationBoston College (BA)
University of Puerto Rico School of Law (JD)
Harvard University (LLM)

Education

Arias-Marxuach graduated from the Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola in San Juan. Received his Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. In addition, he obtained a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School.[1][2] In 1985 he joined the Alpha chapter of Phi Sigma Alpha fraternity.

After graduating from law school, Arias-Marxuach served as a law clerk to Associate Justice Antonio Negrón García of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. After obtaining his Master of Laws, he became an associate at Fiddler Gonzalez & Rodriguez, where he worked until 1995. In 1995, he joined McConnell Valdés, where he maintained a diverse commercial litigation practice that focused on contracts, products liability, personal injury, antitrust and maritime disputes and accumulated substantial jury trial and appellate experience in complex matters. He was a partner and Vice-Chair of the Litigation Practice Group at the firm prior to his appointment to the federal bench.

In 2011, 2013 and 2016, Arias-Marxuach served as an adjunct professor teaching various courses at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law.[3]

Federal judicial service

District court service

Arias-Marxuach was recommended for a federal judgeship by Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico Jenniffer González.[4] On April 10, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Arias-Marxuach to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. On April 12, 2018 his nomination was sent to the Senate. He was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge José A. Fusté, who retired on June 1, 2016.[5] On June 20, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[6] On July 19, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by a voice vote.[7]

On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January 23, 2019 President Trump announced his intent to renominate Arias-Marxuach for a federal judgeship.[8] His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day.[9] On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a voice vote.[10] On May 1, 2019, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 94–5 vote.[11] On May 2, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a 95–3 vote.[12] He received his judicial commission on May 13, 2019.[13] He was sworn into office by Chief Judge Gustavo Gelpí on May 16, 2019.[14] He became Chief Judge on October 19, 2021, after Gelpí was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.[15]

Failed nomination to court of appeals

On November 13, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Arias-Marxuach to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.[16] On November 30, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Arias-Marxuach to the seat vacated by Judge Juan R. Torruella, who died on October 26, 2020.[17] The nomination was considered controversial, as Trump had already lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden when he announced it, although Arias-Marxuach himself was not controversial. Although he received a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 16, 2020, no further action on his nomination was taken due to Republican Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham's opposition to processing the nomination out of committee during the lame-duck session of the 116th Congress.[18][19] On December 16, 2020 a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[20] On January 3, 2021, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.[21] Later that same day, his renomination was sent to the Senate.[22]

On February 4, 2021, his nomination was formally withdrawn by President Joe Biden.[23] On May 12, 2021, President Biden nominated Gustavo Gelpí, the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, to fill that seat, with his nomination being later confirmed by the Senate.[24][25][26]

See also

References
  1. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Twelfth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Twelfth Wave of United States Attorneys, and Sixth Wave of United States Marshals – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  2. "Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach: Capital Member and Vice-Chair, Litigation Practice Group". Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  3. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Arias-Marxuach
  4. "New Federal Judge Candidate in PR Closely Linked to UPR Strike". NotiCel. June 12, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  5. "Twenty-Nine Nominations Sent to the Senate Today – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  6. "Nominations | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary". www.judiciary.senate.gov. 20 June 2018.
  7. "Results of Executive Business Meeting – July 19, 2018" (PDF). Senate Judiciary Committee.
  8. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Judicial Nominees – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  9. "Nominations Sent to the Senate – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  10. "Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 7, 2019" (PDF). Senate Judiciary Committee.
  11. "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture Raul M. Arias-Marxuach to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico)". United States Senate.
  12. "On the Nomination (Confirmation Raul M. Arias-Marxuach, of Puerto Rico, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico)". United States Senate.
  13. Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  14. "Raul Arias-Marxuach Sworn-in as New District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico Magistrate Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll reappointed to a second term as Magistrate Judge for the District of Puerto Rico" (PDF) (Press release). May 16, 2019.
  15. "Honorable Raúl Arias-Marxuach sworn-in as Chief Judge of the USDCPR" (PDF) (Press release). October 22, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  16. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  17. "Four Nominations Sent to the Senate – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  18. PN2366-116, Raúl Arias-Marxuach to be United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit. "Nominations | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary". judiciary.senate.gov.
  19. Cioffi, Chris (December 18, 2020). "With calendar winding down, GOP makes case for Trump judicial pick in the 117th Congress". Roll Call. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  20. PN2366-116, Raúl Arias-Marxuach to be United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit (16 December 2020). "Nominations | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary". www.judiciary.senate.gov.
  21. "PN2366 - Nomination of Raul M. Arias-Marxuach for The Judiciary, 116th Congress (2019-2020)". www.congress.gov. 2021-01-03. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  22. "Thirty Nominations Sent to the Senate – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.
  23. "Withdrawals Sent to the Senate". The White House. February 4, 2021.
  24. "President Biden Announces Third Slate of Judicial Nominees", White House, May 12, 2021 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  25. "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, May 12, 2021
  26. On the Nomination (Confirmation: Gustavo A. Gelpi, of Puerto Rico, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the First Circuit), United States Senate, October 18, 2021
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