2 Democratic Senators Are a 'Game Changer' in Georgia for Judiciary Picks

Atlanta Partner Robert Highsmith was interviewed by the Daily Report about the federal judiciary outlook after victories for both Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in Georgia's runoff elections. With the wins by Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, Georgia has two Democratic Senators under a Democratic president for the first time since the 1970s. Mr. Highsmith, who practices regulatory and administrative law, explained that this shift will significantly affect a number of federal positions, both judicial appointments requiring Senate confirmation and those such as agency regional administrators whose vetting process has traditionally been run by state senators that share the president's party.

"What we have now in Georgia, with two U.S. senators and a president in the same party, is really extraordinary," he said. "It means the Biden White House is going to be able to fill the positions much more quickly...For the first time since the 1970s, Democrats won't have to seek the permission of Republicans to get their nominees confirmed."

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