Paul K. Holmes III
Encyclopedia
Paul Kinloch Holmes III (born November 10, 1951) is an American lawyer, a former federal prosecutor and currently a District Judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
.
on November 10, 1951. Holmes earned a bachelor's degree from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri
, in 1973 and a law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law
in 1978.
. From 1993 until 2001, Holmes was the United States Attorney
in Fort Smith, for the Western District of Arkansas.
From 2001 until present, Holmes has worked in private legal practice in Fort Smith.
and Blanche Lincoln
recommended Holmes to become a district judge.
On April 28, 2010, President Obama nominated Holmes to the seat on the Western District of Arkansas that was vacated when Judge Robert T. Dawson
took senior status
on August 14, 2009. Holmes' nomination lapsed at the end of 2010, and he was renominated by Obama on January 5, 2011. The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
voted to advance Holmes' nomination to the full United States Senate
on February 3, 2011.
The United States Senate confirmed Holmes' nomination on February 7, 2011 by a vote of 95 ayes to 0 nays.
United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas is a United States District Court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties: Ashley, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Clarke, Columbia, Crawford, Franklin, Garland, Hempstead, Hot Springs, Howard,...
.
Early life and education
Holmes was born in Newport, ArkansasNewport, Arkansas
Newport is a city in Jackson County, Arkansas, northeast of Little Rock, on the White River. In 1900, 2,866 people lived in Newport, Arkansas; in 1910, 3,557. The population was 7,811 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Jackson County....
on November 10, 1951. Holmes earned a bachelor's degree from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri
Fulton, Missouri
Fulton is a city in Callaway County, Missouri, the United States of America. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,790 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Callaway County...
, in 1973 and a law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law
University of Arkansas School of Law
The University of Arkansas School of Law is the law school of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, a state university. It has around 445 students enrolled in its Juris Doctor and Master of Law programs and is home to the federally-funded National Agricultural Law Center and the...
in 1978.
Professional career
From 1978 until 1993, Holmes worked in private legal practice in Fort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
. From 1993 until 2001, Holmes was the United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
in Fort Smith, for the Western District of Arkansas.
From 2001 until present, Holmes has worked in private legal practice in Fort Smith.
Nomination to federal district court
In February 2009, Holmes wrote Arkansas' two U.S. senators expressing his interest in becoming a United States district judge. In December 2009, Sens. Mark PryorMark Pryor
Mark Lunsford Pryor is the senior United States Senator from Arkansas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party and former Attorney General of Arkansas....
and Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the...
recommended Holmes to become a district judge.
On April 28, 2010, President Obama nominated Holmes to the seat on the Western District of Arkansas that was vacated when Judge Robert T. Dawson
Robert T. Dawson
Robert T. Dawson is a United States federal judge.Born in El Dorado, Arkansas, Dawson received a B.A. from the University of Arkansas in 1960 and was in the United States Army from 1961 to 1962, and in the Arkansas National Guard from 1962 to 1965. He received an LL.B...
took senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
on August 14, 2009. Holmes' nomination lapsed at the end of 2010, and he was renominated by Obama on January 5, 2011. The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
voted to advance Holmes' nomination to the full United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on February 3, 2011.
The United States Senate confirmed Holmes' nomination on February 7, 2011 by a vote of 95 ayes to 0 nays.