Trump picks Rudofsky for federal appellate court covering Arkansas – The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced plans to nominate an Arkansas federal district court judge to a multistate appellate court.
Trump said on Truth Social that he will nominate Lee Rudofsky to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to succeed Bobby Shepherd, who will take senior status once the U.S. Senate confirms a successor.
Shepherd is the father of state Rep. Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, and Judge John Thomas Shepherd of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has court locations in St. Louis and Saint Paul, Minn., and jurisdiction over federal district courts in Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Rudofsky has been serving as a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas since November 2019. Trump nominated Rudofsky to the position, and the Senate voted 51-41 to confirm the pick.
Rudofsky’s time as a district judge includes a February 2022 dismissal of a lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ current congressional map. Opponents argued the map diluted the influence of Black voters by splitting Pulaski County into three districts. Rudofsky, however, ruled individual voters cannot bring forward discrimination claims under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Rudofsky’s ruling in November 2023.
“Lee will be a rock solid defender of the Constitution on the Eighth Circuit. Congratulations Lee!” Trump said on Truth Social.
Rudofsky is an alumnus of Cornell University and Harvard Law School. His legal background includes serving as Arkansas’ solicitor general during Asa Hutchinson’s first term as governor. Rudofsky also worked for Walmart as an assistant general counsel and senior director of the company’s Global Anti-Corruption Compliance Team.
Arkansas Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge applauded the nomination on social media, noting Rudofsky’s “legal acumen” as solicitor general. Rutledge appointed Rudofsky to the position during her tenure as state attorney general.
“On the federal district court, Judge Rudofsky has adhered to the original text of our constitution and applied the rule of law fairly and impartially,” she added. “I am confident he will continue to apply the law faithfully.”
The Senate has already confirmed two Arkansans to federal court positions this year. Senators approved the nomination of David Clay Fowlkes to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas in February, and confirmed John Thomas Shepherd to the same court in April.

athomas@adgnewsroom.com

Alex Thomas has served as the Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since November 2022. He also produces “Arkies in the Beltway,” a weekly podcast covering national politics and the Arkansans involved in public policy debates.
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