Trump nominates four judges for federal courts in North Carolina

By
CJ Staff
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President Donald Trump has nominated four attorneys and judges to fill vacancies on federal district courts in North Carolina, earning praise from the state’s Republican senators.

The White House announced the nominations of Susan Rodriguez and Matt Orso for the Western District of North Carolina, and David Bragdon and Lindsey Freeman for the Middle District. Under Senate “blue slip” rules, both senators from the state must agree to the White House nominees. In this case, all four were recommended to the administration by Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd.

“These four nominees are well-qualified to fill these important judicial vacancies in North Carolina, and I have confidence they will serve our great state with distinction,” Tillis said in a statement. Tillis is on the Senate Judiciary Committee and worked with the White House to select the candidates.

Budd described the selections as “inspired choices,” saying the nominees “will fill critical vacancies here in North Carolina with exceptional jurists who will serve our nation with distinction.”

Background on the Nominees

  • Susan C. Rodriguez currently serves as a US Magistrate Judge in the Western District of North Carolina. Before joining the bench, she was a partner at McGuireWoods LLP, where she co-led the firm’s financial institutions industry team.
  • Matt Orso is a partner at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP. Earlier in his career, he clerked for Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. of the US District Court for the Western District.
  • David Bragdon serves as Appellate Chief for a US Attorney’s Office. His career includes a clerkship with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and service as the Justice Department’s Resident Legal Advisor in the Philippines.
  • Lindsey Freeman is an Assistant US Attorney. She previously clerked on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, worked at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, and held senior posts at the Justice Department.

“She is TOUGH and SMART, with degrees from UPenn Law School and Harvard, and knows what is required to protect our Constitutional Rights,” Trump said of Freeman in a Truth Social post.

Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd host North Carolina’s legislative leaders in DC. (Source: Sen. Tillis office)

Broader Strategy

Trump’s nominations reflect his broader strategy to appoint more constitutionalist judges who will be aggressive, and who share the judicial philosophies of US Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. In his first term in the White House, Trump appointed 234 total judges. During his second term, he could surpass the record set by Ronald Reagan, who made 383 judicial appointments.

In the closing days of President Joe Biden’s presidency, there was a surge of effort around judicial nominees as Democrats worked to secure more seat on federal benches. Ultimately, Biden surpassed Trump’s appointments by one. Biden, notably, set new records in prioritizing diversity: Of his 235 appointments, 37% are women of color, 26% are white women, 22% are men of color and 15% are white men. Nearly half were either civil rights attorneys or public defenders.

Following the 2024 election, and Biden’s loss to Trump, Tillis blocked Biden’s effort to fill the vacancies on North Carolina’s federal bench on his way out of the White House, and before Republicans gained control of the Senate in January of 2025. The standoff stemmed from Tillis and Budd’s objection to Biden’s handling of the 4th Circuit appellate court nominee.

Next Steps

The nominations for North Carolina’s Middle and Western Districts will now head to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Tillis and Budd are expected to play key roles in moving them forward.

The Middle and Western Districts, like others across the country, have faced increasing caseloads while awaiting permanent appointments.

“Ensuring principled constitutionalist judges are confirmed to the federal courts is a privilege and responsibility I take very seriously,” said Budd. “As part of the Senate’s role in this process, I worked to thoroughly review potential nominees, and to make recommendations to the President highlighting individuals who will uphold our Constitution.”

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