Robert S. Ballou

Robert Stewart Ballou (born 1962)[1] is an American lawyer serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. He previously served as a United States magistrate judge for the same court.

Robert S. Ballou
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
Assumed office
March 9, 2023
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byJames Parker Jones
Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
In office
2011 – March 9, 2023
Personal details
Born
Robert Stewart Ballou

1962 (age 60–61)
Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Virginia (BA, JD)

Education

Ballou earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia in 1984 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1987.[2]

Career

From 1987 to 1988, Ballou served as a law clerk for Judge Peter Beer of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. From 1988 to 1991, he worked as an associate at Christian, Barton, Epps, Brent & Chappell in Richmond, Virginia.[3] From 1992 to 2011, he was a partner at Johnson, Ayers & Matthews in Roanoke, Virginia.[4] In private practice, Ballou specialized in civil litigation, but sometimes accepted personal injury cases.[3]

Federal judicial service

Ballou served as a United States magistrate judge from 2011 to 2023.[2][5]

In August 2021, Ballou was one of two candidates recommended to the president by U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.[6] On July 13, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Ballou to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. President Biden nominated Ballou to the seat vacated by Judge James Parker Jones, who assumed senior status on August 30, 2021.[7] Ballou's nomination is supported by Senators Warner and Kaine.[8] On November 15, 2022, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[9] On December 8, 2022, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 16–6 vote.[10] On January 3, 2023, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. He was renominated on January 23, 2023.[11] On February 9, 2023, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 16–5 vote.[12] On March 6, 2023, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 59–35 vote.[13] On March 7, 2023, his nomination was confirmed by a 59–37 vote.[14] He received his judicial commission on March 9, 2023.[15]

References
  1. "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. November 15, 2022.
  2. "President Biden Names Twenty-Second Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  3. "Judge Robert Ballou – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia". 29 August 2022.
  4. Vieth, Peter (2011-09-20). "Ballou named federal magistrate judge | Virginia Lawyers Weekly". Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  5. Hammack, Laurence. "Robert Ballou and Juval Scott in the running for a federal judgeship". Roanoke Times. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  6. "Warner & Kaine Recommend Two for Vacancy on U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia" (Press release). August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  7. "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. July 13, 2022.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. "Statement of U.S. Sens., Mark R. Warner & Tim Kaine on Nominations of Robert Ballou for the Western District of Virginia and Jamar Walker for the Eastern District of Virginia" (Press release). July 13, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  9. "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. November 15, 2022.
  10. "Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 8, 2022" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  11. "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. January 23, 2023.
  12. "Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 9, 2023" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  13. "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Robert Stewart Ballou to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Virginia)". United States Senate. March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  14. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Robert Stewart Ballou, of Virginia, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Virginia)". United States Senate. March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  15. Robert S. Ballou at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
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