President Donald J. Trump has nominated two attorneys from the Missouri Attorney General's Office to serve as federal judges on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The nominees are Solicitor General Joshua Divine and Principal Deputy Solicitor General Maria Lanahan.
"This is a proud moment for our office and the state of Missouri," said Attorney General Andrew Bailey. "Josh and Maria are two of the finest legal minds in America."
Joshua Divine, who serves as Missouri’s Solicitor General and Director of Special Litigation, graduated from Yale Law School. He previously clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Eleventh Circuit Chief Judge William Pryor. Divine led significant legal efforts, including opposing President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, which saved taxpayers $475 billion.
"Josh has been the driving force behind some of the most consequential legal battles this office has ever taken on," stated Bailey.
Maria Lanahan, serving as Principal Deputy Solicitor General, graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and clerked for Judge Raymond Gruender on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and Justice Zahra on the Michigan Supreme Court. She contributed to various major cases at the AGO and was honored with the Dixon Award for Appellate Advocacy.
"Maria has taken on a wide range of important cases during her time in our office," noted Bailey.
The Missouri Attorney General's Office has gained recognition as one of the nation’s leading public law offices, producing multiple attorneys who have received federal judicial appointments.
"Missouri is leading the nation in legal talent, and these nominations prove it," concluded Bailey.