Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Praise Committee Vote on Texas Fifth Circuit, District Court Nominees

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today released the following statements after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nominations of Andy Oldham to fill a vacancy in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Michael Truncale to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, and Alan Albright to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas:

“I am pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee has favorably reported out three more nominees for the federal bench in Texas,” Sen. Cruz said. “These nominees represent the best of our State’s legal community, and I urge their swift confirmation by the full Senate.”

“Texas deserves nominees who will interpret the law faithfully, and these accomplished individuals are no exception,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I am grateful that our colleagues on the Committee voted to advance these highly qualified nominees, and I look forward to confirming them in the full Senate soon.”

The Senators recommended these nominees to President Trump following an extensive review and interview process of the candidate pool by the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee (FJEC). Sen. Cruz and Sen. Cornyn established the FJEC, a bipartisan panel of leading attorneys in Texas, to help identify the most qualified candidates to fill judicial vacancies. The panel reviewed applications, interviewed candidates, and made recommendations to the Senators, who interviewed individuals before making their recommendations to the President.

Alan Albright is a partner in the Austin office of Bracewell LLP, where his practice focuses on a wide range of complex commercial and civil matters, with a particular emphasis on intellectual property and patent litigation. From 1992 to 1999, Albright served as a United States Magistrate Judge in the Austin Division of the Western District of Texas. For several years, he also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law, where he taught trial advocacy, and in 2017, he was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers. Albright earned his B.A., with honors, from Trinity University and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, where he was a member of the Texas Law Review.

Andrew Oldham currently serves as General Counsel to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, where he advises the Governor on a range of issues under federal and state law and manages litigation in which the Governor is an interested party. Mr. Oldham previously served as Deputy Solicitor General for the State of Texas, where he represented Texas in federal courts across the country, including twice before the United States Supreme Court. Before that, Mr. Oldham was an attorney at Kellogg Hansen Todd Figel & Frederick in Washington, D.C.  His practice focused on appellate litigation in federal courts of appeals throughout the country. Before entering private practice, Mr. Oldham served as a law clerk to Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., at the Supreme Court of the United States and to Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He also worked as an attorney-adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice from 2006 to 2008. Mr. Oldham earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia with highest honors, an M. Phil., first class (with distinction), from Cambridge University, and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Mike Truncale is a partner at Orgain Bell & Tucker, LLP, where he has handled a wide range of litigation matters, including products liability and commercial disputes, since joining the firm as an associate in 1985. During his time in private practice, Mr. Truncale has devoted considerable time to public service. Governor Perry appointed Mr. Truncale to serve a four-year term as a regent of the Texas State University System and Governor Abbott appointed him to serve a six-year term as a board member of the Prepaid Higher Education Tuition Board. Mr. Truncale is Board Certified in civil trial by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is Board Certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He also has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, serving as a mediator in more than 2,000 cases in state and federal courts throughout Texas. Mr. Truncale received his B.B.A., magna cum laude, from Lamar University, his M.B.A. from the University of North Texas, and his J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. 

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