The U.S. Senate approved Alabama Solicitor General Edmund “Eddie” LaCour Jr. to be a federal judge in the Northern District of Alabama. The vote, which was 51 to 47, was along party lines and filled the position left open by Chief Judge L. Scott Coogler, who retired earlier this year.
LaCour’s confirmation is the last in a series of judicial wins for Alabama’s Senate delegation, which also included the recent confirmations of former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Bill Lewis and Huntsville attorney Hal Mooty. Since 2019, LaCour has been the Solicitor General for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall. He has been in charge of many of the state’s most important appellate cases.
One of them was Allen v. Milligan, the important Alabama redistricting case that the U.S. Supreme Court heard.
His confirmation also ends a political story that started five years ago.
LaCour was first nominated to the federal bench in 2020, but then-Senator Doug Jones of Alabama used his power as the state’s senator to stop the nomination from moving forward.
This time, the nomination went smoothly because the state’s Senate seats are now held by Republicans.
Earlier this year, President Trump officially nominated LaCour as part of a larger effort to fill open federal positions in Alabama and other southern states.
Senator Katie Britt, who worked with Senator Tommy Tuberville to get LaCour confirmed, said that LaCour’s legal record was “unparalleled.”
Britt said, “He is allowed to practice in front of every circuit court of appeals in the country and the Supreme Court, where he has filed more than 100 briefs and argued three cases.” “I have no doubt that he will do an excellent job serving the Northern District,” she said. “His legal knowledge is second to none.”
Tuberville also praised LaCour’s appointment, saying he “has done an excellent job as Alabama’s Solicitor General” and “will continue his great work as a federal district court judge.”
With the confirmation of LaCour, Lewis, and Mooty, Alabama’s federal courts will have new judges in the Northern and Middle Districts in 2026.
In a press release, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office said they were happy about the news.
The press release said, “Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall today celebrated the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Edmund LaCour Jr. as a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Alabama.”
It said, “President Donald Trump nominated LaCour in August. LaCour has been the solicitor general in the Attorney General’s Office since 2019.”
He said, “Eddie is a brilliant and principled lawyer who brought a deep respect for the Constitution and the rule of law to everything he did.” “Because of President Trump’s leadership, Alabama and the rest of the country will continue to benefit from Eddie’s honesty and great service.”
He went on to say, “As solicitor general, Eddie made a lasting impression on some of the most important legal battles of our time.” Everyone in the judiciary, even the U.S. Supreme Court, respected him because of his unmatched skill and sharp understanding of the Constitution. President Trump could not have chosen better. We are very proud that Eddie is bringing his intelligence, humility, and dedication to the federal bench.
LaCour has been Alabama’s solicitor general since May 2019, after being deputy solicitor general. Before working for the Attorney General’s Office, he was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C., where he represented clients in important cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, federal courts of appeals, and trial courts.
The press release said that he also worked at Bancroft PLLC in Washington and Baker Botts LLP in Houston, Texas, among many other assignments and accomplishments in his long career.
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