President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 2, 2019 President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees   Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate: Bernard M. Jones of Oklahoma, to serve as Judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. Bernard M. Jones currently serves as United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma.  Prior to being appointed as Magistrate Judge in 2015, Judge Jones served as a District Judge for Oklahoma’s Seventh Judicial District, where he presided over the family and domestic relations and civil dockets and oversaw the District’s Drug Court and Mental Health Court programs.  Before taking the bench in 2012, Judge Jones was in private practice, where he focused on commercial and labor and employment law, first at Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, LLP in Columbus, Ohio, and later in the Oklahoma City office of McAfee & Taft.  Judge Jones also was an Associate Dean of Oklahoma City University School of Law.  He earned his B.A. from Southern Methodist University and his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School. Grace Karaffa Obermann of Virginia, to serve as Judge on the United States Court of Federal Claims. Grace Obermann currently serves as an Administrative Patent Judge for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.  Before being appointed to the Board in 2012, Judge Obermann was in private practice at Davidson Berquist Jackson & Gowdey, LLP, where she focused on Federal acquisition issues and government patent practice.  Earlier in her career, Judge Obermann served as Assistant Director in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. Judge Obermann also served as an Adjunct Professor at The George Washington University Law School, where she taught legal writing and oral advocacy.  After graduating from law school, Judge Obermann served as a law clerk to Judge Raymond C. Clevenger, III, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Judge Obermann received her B.A. from Rutgers University and her J.D., with honors, from The George Washington University Law School, where she was a Member of The George Washington Law Review.  Stephen S. Schwartz of Virginia, to serve as Judge on the United States Court of Federal Claims. Stephen Schwartz is a Partner at Schaerr Jaffe LLP in Washington, D.C., where he litigates civil, constitutional, and administrative law matters in Federal courts.  Before joining Schaerr Jaffe, Mr. Schwartz served as Counsel at Cause of Action, a public interest law firm based in Washington, D.C. and as a litigation associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C.  After graduating from law school, Mr. Schwartz served as a law clerk to Judge Jerry E. Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  Mr. Schwartz received his B.A., with distinction, from Yale College and his J.D., with honors, from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was an Editor of TheUniversity of Chicago Law Review. Stephen Alexander Vaden of Tennessee, to serve as Judge on the United States Court of International Trade.   Stephen Vaden currently serves as the General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture. As the agency’s chief legal officer, he advises the Secretary and other senior officials on legal issues affecting the Department.  Before joining the Department in 2017, Mr. Vaden was an appellate litigator in private practice, where he focused largely on administrative law.  Mr. Vaden also serves as a Member of the Board of the Commodity Credit Corporation.  After graduating from law school, Mr. Vaden served as a law clerk to Judge Julia Smith Gibbons of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Judge Samuel H. Mays, Jr., of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.  Mr. Vaden earned his B.A. from Vanderbilt University, summa cum laude, and his J.D. from Yale Law School.