Judge Charles W. Pickering, Sr.

Wichita Lawyers Chapter

Speaker:

• Judge Charles W. Pickering, Sr., Retired Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Speaker:

• Judge Charles W. Pickering, Sr., Retired Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

President George W. Bush nominated then U.S. District Judge Pickering to the Fifth Circuit in 2001. Unable to break more than two years of Senate inaction and filibuster, President Bush gave Judge Pickering a recess appointment to the Fifth Circuit on January 16, 2004. Upon expiration of his recess appointment in December of that year, Judge Pickering retired from the federal bench. Judge Pickering is now senior counsel at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz in Jackson, Mississippi.

Judge Pickering has written two books offering his perspective on the Senate confirmation process and recommending solutions. The first is Supreme Chaos: The Politics of Judicial Confirmation and the Culture War (2006). The second is A Price Too High: The Judiciary in Jeopardy (2007). Mr. Pickering has also authored an article on this topic available at the Federalist Society website:

http://www.fed-soc.org/doclib/20070705_Engage8.3(June2007).pdf  (see numbered page 132).