Thomas Lee Kirsch II (born January 25, 1974) is an American attorney and jurist who has served as a judge of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citations, 7th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts: * Central District of Illinois * Northern District of ...

since December 2020. He was previously the

United States attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the Northern District of Indiana from October 2017 to December 2020.

Early life and education

A native of Hammond, Indiana, Kirsch received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree in economics and political science, with highest distinction, from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

in 1996, and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1999.

Career

After graduating from law school, Kirsch served as a law clerk to Judge

John Daniel Tinder John Daniel Tinder (born 1950) is a retired United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Background Born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1950, Tinder attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in India ...

of the

United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana (in case citations, S.D. Ind.) is a federal district court in Indiana. It was created in 1928 by an act of Congress that split Indiana into two separate districts, northern an ...

. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana from 2001 to 2008 and was detailed to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

as Counsel to the

United States Assistant Attorney General Many of the divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice are headed by an assistant attorney general. The president of the United States appoints individuals to the position of assistant attorney general with the advice and ...

for the

Office of Legal Policy The Office of Legal Policy (OLP) is a division within the United States Department of Justice which describes itself as the "focal point for the development and coordination of Departmental policy." In addition to rendering legal advice to the Un ...

from 2006 to 2007. Kirsch was a partner at

Winston & Strawn Winston & Strawn LLP is an international law firm. Headquartered in Chicago, it has nearly 800 attorneys in ten offices in the United States and six offices in Europe and Asia. Founded in 1853, it is one of the largest and oldest law firms in Chic ...

from 2008 to 2017, where his practice focused on complex litigation and corporate investigations. While working for the government, he prosecuted offenses including mail and wire fraud, honest services fraud, tax fraud, bank fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy, extortion, money laundering, racketeering, obstruction of justice, perjury, and gangs and narcotics.

United States attorney

On July 14, 2017, Kirsch was announced as the nominee to be the

for the Northern District of Indiana. The nomination was sent to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on August 2, 2017. He was confirmed by the Senate by

voice vote In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding vo ...

on October 3, 2017. Kirsch was sworn in on October 10, 2017. Several days after being sworn into office, Kirsch announced the arrest of a man accused of sending a bomb that exploded in an

East Chicago East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,698 at the 2010 census. The city is home of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, an artificial freshwater harbor characterized by industrial and manufacturing act ...

post office. His tenure as U.S. Attorney ended when he became a judge, being nominated by then-President Trump.

Federal judicial service

On October 21, 2020, President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

announced his intent to nominate Kirsch to serve as a

United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...

of the

."President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees" White House, October 21, 2020
President Trump nominated Kirsch to the seat vacated by Judge

Amy Coney Barrett Amy Vivian Coney Barrett (born January 28, 1972) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The fifth woman to serve on the court, she was nominated by President Donald Trump and has served since October 27, 2020. ...

, who was elevated to the Supreme Court of the United States. On November 16, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate even before Justice Barrett was confirmed. On November 18, 2020, a hearing on his nomination was held before the

Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations ...

. On December 10, 2020, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On December 14, 2020, the

invoked cloture on his nomination by a 51–42 vote. On December 15, 2020, his nomination was confirmed by the Senate by a 51–44 vote. He received his judicial commission on December 17, 2020, and was sworn in on December 18, 2020.United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II Announces Departure from Office
/ref>

References

External links

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Kirsch, Thomas 1974 births Living people 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American judges Assistant United States Attorneys Federalist Society members George W. Bush administration personnel Harvard Law School alumni Indiana lawyers Indiana Republicans Indiana University Bloomington alumni Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit People from Hammond, Indiana Trump administration personnel United States Attorneys for the Northern District of Indiana United States court of appeals judges appointed by Donald Trump United States Department of Justice lawyers People associated with Winston & Strawn