Thomas L. Ambro
Encyclopedia
Thomas L. Ambro is a judge
on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
.
He was appointed to the Third Circuit by President Bill Clinton
on September 29, 1999, to fill a seat vacated by Walter King Stapleton
. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
on February 10, 2000, by a 96-2 vote and received his commission on February 16, 2000.
Judge Ambro received both his B.A. (1971) and J.D. (1975) from Georgetown University
. After law school, he clerked for Chief Justice Daniel L. Hermann of the Supreme Court of Delaware. He was in private practice in Wilmington, Delaware
from 1976-2000, and was a force behind Delaware's rise as a preferred venue for large Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. Before being elevated to the bench, he headed the bankruptcy practice at Richards, Layton, and Finger. Judge Ambro is a past Chair of the Section of Business Law of the American Bar Association
and past Editor of The Business Lawyer. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Inns of Court.
Judge Ambro's well-known opinions include United States v. Gunter, 462 F.3d 247 (3d Cir. 2006) (holding that district courts may consider whether the federal Sentencing Guidelines's differential between crack and cocaine is rational when imposing sentences); In re Owens Corning, 419 F.3d 195 (3d Cir. 2005) (clarifying when a bankruptcy court may substantively consolidate affiliated entities); and Forum for Academic & Institutional Rights v. Rumsfeld, 390 F.3d 219 (3d Cir. 2004) (holding that law schools have a First Amendment right to refuse to allow the military to recruit on campus without their institutions losing federal funding), rev'd ___ U.S. ___, 126 S.Ct. 1297 (2006).
His dissenting opinions in Abu-Jamal v. Horn, 520 F.3d 272 (3d Cir. 2008) and in In re Philadephia Newspapers, 599 F.3d 298 (3d Cir. 2010) have also been influential.
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey...
.
He was appointed to the Third Circuit by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
on September 29, 1999, to fill a seat vacated by Walter King Stapleton
Walter King Stapleton
Walter King Stapleton is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He assumed senior status on June 2, 1999....
. He was confirmed by the 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 10, 2000, by a 96-2 vote and received his commission on February 16, 2000.
Judge Ambro received both his B.A. (1971) and J.D. (1975) from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. After law school, he clerked for Chief Justice Daniel L. Hermann of the Supreme Court of Delaware. He was in private practice in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
from 1976-2000, and was a force behind Delaware's rise as a preferred venue for large Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. Before being elevated to the bench, he headed the bankruptcy practice at Richards, Layton, and Finger. Judge Ambro is a past Chair of the Section of Business Law of the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
and past Editor of The Business Lawyer. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Inns of Court.
Judge Ambro's well-known opinions include United States v. Gunter, 462 F.3d 247 (3d Cir. 2006) (holding that district courts may consider whether the federal Sentencing Guidelines's differential between crack and cocaine is rational when imposing sentences); In re Owens Corning, 419 F.3d 195 (3d Cir. 2005) (clarifying when a bankruptcy court may substantively consolidate affiliated entities); and Forum for Academic & Institutional Rights v. Rumsfeld, 390 F.3d 219 (3d Cir. 2004) (holding that law schools have a First Amendment right to refuse to allow the military to recruit on campus without their institutions losing federal funding), rev'd ___ U.S. ___, 126 S.Ct. 1297 (2006).
His dissenting opinions in Abu-Jamal v. Horn, 520 F.3d 272 (3d Cir. 2008) and in In re Philadephia Newspapers, 599 F.3d 298 (3d Cir. 2010) have also been influential.