President Obama Nominates Four to Serve on the United States District Courts

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, President Obama nominated Judge Madeline Cox Arleo, Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, Robert Lee Pitman, and Robert William Schroeder III to serve on the United States District Courts.

“Throughout their careers, these nominees have displayed unwavering commitment to justice and integrity,” said President Obama.  “Their records of public service are distinguished and impressive and I am confident that they will serve the American people well from the United States District Court bench.  I am honored to nominate them today.”

Judge Madeline Cox Arleo:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

Judge Madeline Cox Arleo has served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the District of New Jersey since 2000.  Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Arleo was a partner at Tompkins, McGuire, Wachenfeld & Barry, LLP from 1998 to 2000, where her practice focused on civil litigation in state and federal courts.  She worked at the law firms of Barry & McMoran from 1994 to 1998 and Clapp & Eisenberg from 1990 to 1994.  Judge Arleo began her legal career as a law clerk to Justice Marie L. Garibaldi of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1989 to 1990.  She received her J.D. summa cum laude from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1989, her M.A. from Rutgers University in 1986, and her B.A. from Rutgers College in 1985.

Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III has served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Texas since 2009.  Previously, he was a Justice on the Court of Appeals for the Fifth District of Texas at Dallas from 2004 to 2009.  From 2003 to 2004, he was Of Counsel at Wolfe, Tidwell & McCoy, LLP.  Judge Mazzant served as a law clerk for Magistrate Judge Don D. Bush of the Eastern District of Texas in 2003 and for Magistrate Judge Robert Faulkner of the Eastern District of Texas from 1993 to 2003.  From 1992 to 1993, he worked at the law firm Henderson Bryant & Wolfe.  Judge Mazzant began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Paul Brown in the Eastern District of Texas from 1990 to 1992.  He received his J.D. from Baylor University School of Law in 1990 and his B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh in 1987. 

Robert Lee Pitman:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas

Robert Lee Pitman has served as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas since 2011.  He previously served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Texas from 2003 to 2011.  Prior to his appointment to the bench, Pitman served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Texas from 1990 to 2003, serving as interim United States Attorney in 2001 and as Deputy United States Attorney from 2001 to 2003.  He worked as an associate at the law firm Fulbright & Jaworski from 1989 to 1990 and served as a law clerk to Judge David O. Belew Jr. of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas from 1988 to 1989.  He received his J.D. in 1988 from the University of Texas at Austin and his B.S. from Abilene Christian University in 1985.  Pitman also received a Master of Studies in Legal Research degree from the University of Oxford in 2011. 

Robert William Schroeder III:  Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

Robert William Schroeder III has been a partner at the law firm Patton, Tidwell, Schroeder & Culbertson, LLP and its predecessor firm since 2003, where he handles complex civil litigation in both federal and state court.  Prior to joining the firm in 1999, Schroeder served as a law clerk for Judge Richard S. Arnold of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit from 1997 to 1999.  He worked in the Office of the White House Counsel as Associate Counsel to the President in 1997 and as Assistant Counsel to the President from 1995 to 1996.  Schroeder received his J.D. from American University Washington College of Law in 1994 and his B.A. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1989.