Sens. Cruz, Cornyn on Committee Passage of Barker, Kernodle Judicial Nominations for Tyler
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 Cam Barker and Jeremy Kernodle to fill judicial vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Tyler:
“Cam Barker and Jeremy Kernodle represent the best of our State’s legal community,” Sen. Cruz said. “Their proven record of excellence, professionalism, and public service will serve East Texans well, and I urge their swift confirmation by the full Senate.”
“Cam Barker and Jeremy Kernodle are some of the sharpest legal minds in Texas,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I look forward to working with Sen. Cruz to ensure they are swiftly confirmed so we can get them on the bench as soon as possible.”
The Senators recommended both nominees to President Trump following an extensive review and interview process of the candidate pool by the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee (FJEC). Sens. Cruz and 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.
Cam Barker serves as Deputy Solicitor General in the Texas Attorney General’s Office. In that role, he argues appeals on behalf of the State of Texas in State and Federal courts, and he litigates and advises on other cases and matters of significance to Texas. He previously was a partner at Texas litigation boutique Yetter Coleman LLP, where he practiced commercial and intellectual property law. Before entering private practice, Mr. Barker served for four years in the criminal division of the United States Department of Justice, where he also served on detail to the Eastern District of Virginia as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. Earlier in his career, Mr. Barker served as a law clerk to Judge William C. Bryson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and to Judge John M. Walker, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Barker earned his B.S., summa cum laude, from Texas A&M University and his J.D., with highest honors, from the University of Texas School of Law.
Jeremy Kernodle is currently a partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP, where he founded and chairs the firm’s False Claims Act practice group and focuses on representing healthcare providers and government contractors in Federal courts throughout the country. Before entering private practice, Mr. Kernodle served as an attorney-advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice. Before that, Mr. Kernodle was an associate at Covington and Burling LLP in Washington, D.C., where his practice focused on complex commercial and appellate litigation. Earlier in his career, Mr. Kernodle served as a law clerk to Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Kernodle earned his B.A. and B.B.A., both summa cum laude, from Harding University, and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he graduated first in his class.
###
