TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Nov 24, 2025

President Donald Trump on Friday named new federal district court judge nominees, including Brian Lea for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, according to Reuters. Lea, a former clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and partner at Jones Day, joined the U.S. Department of Justice near the beginning of Trump’s return to office. In the announcement on social media, Trump said, “In his new role, Brian will boldly defend our Constitution and prioritize law and order in Tennessee — he will not let you down.” Trump also nominated Justin Olson to fill a district court seat in the Southern District of Indiana and Megan Benton of Missouri to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The new picks bring to 34 the number of judicial nominees Trump has announced in his second term. The U.S. Senate has confirmed 19 of them, adding to the 234 judicial nominees confirmed during Trump’s first term.