President Trump announced his intent Wednesday to nominate Paducah native Benjamin Beaton to serve as federal district judge in the Western District of Kentucky. The seat was vacant after former Western District of Kentucky Judge Justin Walker was tapped to join the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
“I am proud President Trump selected Paducah, Kentucky native, Benjamin Beaton to serve our Commonwealth and the nation as a U.S. district judge. Ben has spent his career rising to the top of the legal field, including with prestigious clerkships at the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit,” said Republican U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a statement. “I’m grateful Ben is ready to put his considerable talents to work for Kentucky, and I look forward to the Senate considering his nomination.”
Kentucky First District Congressman James Comer also released a statement upon learning of Beaton’s pending nomination:
“I want to congratulate Paducah native Benjamin Beaton for achieving this high honor of a nomination to serve as district judge for the Western District of Kentucky. His experience studying and litigating complex legal issues, along with clerking for the U.S. Supreme Court, positions him perfectly to serve on the federal bench. … If Benjamin’s successful career thus far is any indication, he will do an outstanding job in this role.”
According to a release issued by Trump’s Office of the Press Secretary, Beaton is a partner at Squire Patton Boggs, headquartered in Cleveland. He co-chairs the firm’s Appellate and Supreme Court practice group.
Beaton represents clients engaged in complex commercial litigation in Federal and State courts, and before administrative agencies. Beaton also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, where he teaches constitutional interpretation. Before joining Squire Patton Boggs, Beaton practiced in the Washington, D.C. office of Sidley Austin, LLP, and also served as a legal fellow with the International Justice Mission in Kampala, Uganda.
Upon graduation from law school, Beaton served as a law clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court, and to Judge A. Raymond Randolph of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Beaton earned his B.A., summa cum laude, from Centre College, and his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he served as an Articles Editor on the Columbia Law Review.
