The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s first nominee to the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, marking a shift in a court long dominated by Democratic appointees. The Senate voted 52–46 along party lines to approve Joshua Dunlap, a conservative lawyer from Maine, to the lifetime position. His confirmation gives Trump his first opportunity to influence this appellate court, which oversees federal cases in New England.
Until this appointment, the 1st Circuit had been the only one of the 13 federal appeals courts without a judge selected by a Republican president. This made it a preferred venue for challenges to Trump’s policies during his earlier term. Dunlap’s confirmation alters that balance, signaling the administration’s broader goal of reshaping the federal judiciary.
Trump had not appointed any judges to this court during his first term. His chance to do so arose when Judge William Kayatta, appointed by President Obama, assumed senior status in late 2024. President Biden’s nominee, Julia Lipez, was not confirmed before he left office, allowing Trump to fill the vacancy.
In July, Trump selected Dunlap, a partner at Pierce Atwood, who pledged to uphold the Constitution. Dunlap holds degrees from Pensacola Christian College and Notre Dame Law School and previously interned at a conservative legal advocacy group. His legal career includes work on cases challenging Maine’s voting system, family leave laws, and campaign finance regulations.
This week, the Senate also approved another Trump nominee, Eric Tung, to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 52–45 vote made Tung the first judge Trump appointed to that court during his second term.
Tung, a former clerk for Justices Neil Gorsuch and Antonin Scalia, was a federal prosecutor before joining Jones Day. His confirmation narrows the Democratic majority on the 9th Circuit.
