During the first two years of his presidency, two Supreme Court justices and 83 lower-court judges secured confirmation, in the 115th Congress. In the second half of his term to date, the 116th Congress, he’s seen 12 judges confirmed, bringing his total number of Article III judicial appointees to 97. With the Senate now back from its Easter recess and with 43 nominees out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and awaiting floor votes, President Trump should hit — and, in fact, blow past — the 100-judge marker very soon.

President Trump will go down in history as an extremely effective and consequential president on judicial nominations, even if his administration ends tomorrow (as many of his detractors fervently hope). But he shouldn’t get all the credit for confirmations; so much of it belongs to his former White House Counsel, Don McGahn, and the Senate Republicans, ably led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky).

They’re not the only ones who deserve kudos. Congratulations — and thanks, if you’re a supporter of the Trump appointments — should also go to Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The SJC plays a key gatekeeper role when it comes to judicial nominations, and then-Chairman Grassley worked tirelessly to keep that gate open for Trump’s judicial picks in the last Congress, even in the face of strong Democratic opposition.

Gratitude also goes to the wind beneath the senators’ wings: the staffers who work tirelessly, for much less pay than they could earn in the private sector, to make sure the senators can do their jobs effectively. (Senator Amy Klobuchar, we’re looking at you.)

A critical staffer on judicial nominations, Mike Davis, former Chief Nominations Counsel to then-Chairman Grassley, spoke earlier this month before the Columbia Federalist Society. I refer to Davis as “critical,” but that might be an understatement. He played a crucial role in the Trump judicial revolution, which is why the Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) recently honored him with the 2019 Betty Murphy Award.

https://abovethelaw.com/2019/04/an-insiders-perspective-on-president-trumps-transformation-of-the-federal-judiciary/