Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that Joshua Dunlap, of Scarborough, Maine, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
In February, Senator Collins established a Federal Appointments Advisory Committee to evaluate candidates for Senate-confirmed positions in Maine. As the senior Republican member of Maine’s congressional delegation, Senator Collins is advising the Trump Administration as it selects candidates for federal positions in the state, and the Committee’s recommendations are an integral part of that process.
“Mr. Joshua Dunlap was a top candidate recommended by my Federal Appointments Advisory Committee for this important position. Mr. Dunlap currently serves as a Partner at Pierce Atwood LLP where he co-chairs the firm’s Appellate & Amici team. His wealth of appellate experience, along with his intelligence and temperament, make him an excellent choice to serve on the federal bench,” said Senator Collins. “A native of Vassalboro, now living in Scarborough, he will serve Maine well in this critical role. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to swiftly confirm Mr. Dunlap.”
A native of Vassalboro, Maine, Mr. Dunlap is currently a partner in the litigation group of Pierce Atwood LLP, where he co-chairs the firm’s Appellate & Amici team. He has practiced at Pierce Atwood for over fifteen years, handling substantial civil litigation matters in both appellate and trial courts.
His practice in federal and state courts has involved a wide range of common law, statutory, and constitutional claims. Mr. Dunlap currently serves as the chair for the Maine Appellate Rules Committee, to which he was appointed by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
As an associate, Mr. Dunlap assisted multiple special masters, including the Honorable William J. Kayatta, Jr., and Ralph I. Lancaster, Jr., in overseeing original jurisdiction proceedings before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Prior to returning to Pierce Atwood, Mr. Dunlap clerked for the Honorable Paul J. Kelly, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Mr. Dunlap graduated from the Notre Dame Law School, where he was the first in his class.
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