Colm Connolly

Colm Connolly
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
Incumbent
Assumed office July 1, 2021
Preceded by	Leonard P. Stark
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware
Incumbent
Assumed office August 3, 2018
Appointed by	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Sue Lewis Robinson
United States Attorney for the District of Delaware
In office September 2001 – January 20, 2009
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Carl Schnee
Succeeded by	Charles Oberly
Personal details
Born	Colm Felix Connolly 1964 (age 57–58) Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Education	University of Notre Dame (BA) London School of Economics (MSc) Duke University School of Law (JD)

Colm Felix Connolly (born 1964) is the Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. He formerly served as United States Attorney for the District of Delaware.

Biography and career[]

Colm Connolly was born on October 18, 1964, in Wilmington, Delaware. He earned his Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from the University of Notre Dame, his Master of Science from the London School of Economics, and his Juris Doctor, with honors, from the Duke University School of Law.^[1]

After graduating from law school, Connolly clerked for Judge Walter King Stapleton of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and then spent seven years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Delaware. In that capacity he became known for his prosecution of Thomas Capano for capital murder. Connolly would later be portrayed by Steven Eckholdt and make a cameo appearance in the made-for-television movie based on the murder, And Never Let Her Go (2001), directed by Peter Levin. Connolly then worked at Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell for two years before becoming the United States Attorney for the District of Delaware in 2001 after being nominated by President George W. Bush. In 2009, Connolly left the United States Department of Justice to become a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, where he worked until becoming a judge. At the U.S. Attorney's office, Connolly was succeeded by Charles M. Oberly III, with David C. Weiss serving as acting United States Attorney in the interim.^[1]

Federal judicial service[]

Failed district court nomination under George W. Bush[]

On February 26, 2008, Connolly was nominated by George W. Bush to fill the United States District Court for the District of Delaware seat vacated by Kent A. Jordan in 2006, who was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Although Connolly received a unanimously well qualified rating from the American Bar Association, the Senate Judiciary Committee did not afford him a hearing and therefore his nomination to the federal bench expired at the conclusion of the Senate's session in 2008. Senator Tom Carper returned his blue slip in support of Connolly, but then-Senator Joe Biden did not.^[2]

Renomination to district court under Trump[]

On December 20, 2017, Connolly's renomination was announced and sent to the Senate.^[1] He was nominated to the seat vacated by Sue Lewis Robinson, who took senior status on February 3, 2017.^[3] On February 14, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.^[4] On March 15, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 20–1 vote.^[5] On August 1, 2018, his nomination was confirmed by voice vote.^[6] He received his judicial commission on August 3, 2018. He became Chief Judge on July 1, 2021.^[7]

References[]

External links[]

• Colm Connolly at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.