KERNODLE

U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn released statements Friday after the Senate confirmed the nomination of Jeremy Kernodle to fill a judicial vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Tyler.

The news release said the senators recommended Kernodle to President Donald Trump following an extensive review and interview process of the candidate pool by the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee, according to a news release from the senators’ press offices.

“Jeremy Kernodle is a top litigator and will bring a tremendous record of experience and professionalism to the Eastern District of Texas,” Cornyn said. “I thank my colleagues for their support of his

confirmation, and I look forward to getting him seated on the court as quickly as possible.”

Cruz said he was proud to recommend Kernodle to Trump for the position.

“I am glad the Senate voted today to confirm Jeremy and I am confident he will serve the people of East Texas well as a principled judge on the federal bench,” Cruz said.

A partner at Haynes and Boone LLP, Kernodle founded and chairs the firm’s False Claims Act practice group and focuses on representing health care providers and government contractors in federal courts throughout the country.

Before entering private practice, Kernodle served as an attorney-advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice. Before that, Kernodle was an associate at Covington and Burling LLP in Washington, D.C., where his practice focused on complex commercial and appellate litigation.

Earlier in his career, Kernodle served as a law clerk to Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Kernodle earned his B.A. and B.B.A., both summa cum laude, from Harding University, and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he graduated first in his class.

Kernodle will take the bench left vacant for more than two years by now retired Judge Michael H. Schneider Sr.