- If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Todd Butler would succeed Judge Leslie H. Southwick, who has elected to take senior status.
President Donald Trump (R) announced Thursday that he was nominating Todd Butler to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
“The wonderful people of the Great State of Mississippi (one of my favorites!), and the rest of the Fifth Circuit, can count on Todd to protect the Constitution and the Rule of Law,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Butler is a partner at Phelps Dunbar where his practice has focused on litigation and strategic counseling, with an emphasis on appellate, constitutional and employment matters.
If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Butler would succeed Judge Leslie H. Southwick, who has elected to take senior status.
Butler was the Judicial Law Clerk for Southwick.
“He has argued numerous times before the Fifth Circuit, previously clerked for highly respected Judge, Leslie Southwick, and has been a strong defender of Law Enforcement throughout his career,” the President said.
Trump also noted that Butler “has the unwavering support of Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith.”
In a joint statement on the news of Butler’s nomination, Mississippi’s U.S. Senators said, “Todd Butler is an excellent pick for the federal bench. He believes in interpreting the law as it is written, pursuant to the text and original meaning of the Constitution—exactly the quality that should characterize a jurist. Mr. Butler is a credit to his home state of Mississippi. We look forward to his swift confirmation.”
Butler is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he majored in Business Administration before attending Mississippi College School of Law. He has taught courses as an adjunct law professor and is the past Chairman of the Mississippi Bar’s Appellate Practice Section.
