Leonard P. Stark

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Leonard P. Stark

| image = LeonardPStark.jpg

| caption =

| office = Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

| term_start = March 16, 2022

| term_end =

| appointer = Joe Biden

| predecessor = Kathleen M. O'Malley

| successor =

| office1 = Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware

| term_start1 = July 1, 2014

| term_end1 = July 1, 2021

| predecessor1 = Gregory M. Sleet

| successor1 = Colm Connolly

| office2 = Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware

| appointer2 = Barack Obama

| term_start2 = August 10, 2010

| term_end2 = March 17, 2022

| predecessor2 = Kent A. Jordan

| successor2 = Gregory B. Williams

| office3 = Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware

| termstart3 = 2007

| termend3 = August 10, 2010

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|7|5}}

| birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = University of Delaware (BA, BS, MA)
Magdalen College, Oxford (DPhil)
Yale University (JD)

}}

Leonard Philip Stark (born July 5, 1969) is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and was a United States magistrate judge of the same district.

Early life and education

Stark was born on July 5, 1969,{{Cite web |last=Voruganti |first=Harsh |date=December 1, 2021 |title=Judge Leonard Stark – Nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit |url=https://vettingroom.org/2021/12/01/judge-leonard-stark/ |access-date=February 7, 2022 |website=The Vetting Room |language=en}} in Detroit, Michigan. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in history and political science and a Master of Arts in history from the University of Delaware, all in 1991.[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-nominates-judge-leonard-stark-and-amy-totenberg-united-states-distr President Obama Nominates Judge Leonard Stark and Amy Totenberg to the United States District Court] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216172822/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-nominates-judge-leonard-stark-and-amy-totenberg-united-states-distr |date=2017-02-16 }}, whitehouse.gov (March 17, 2010). Stark also earned a Doctor of Philosophy in politics from Magdalen College at the University of Oxford in 1993 as a Rhodes Scholar. In 1996, Stark earned a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.

Professional career

From 1996 to 1997, Stark served as a law clerk for United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Judge Walter King Stapleton.{{FJC Bio|nid=1393291|inline=yes}} From 1997 to 2001, Stark was an associate with the Wilmington, Delaware office of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where he specialized in corporate and securities law. From 2002 to 2007, Stark served as an assistant United States attorney in Wilmington, Delaware. Since 2016, he has been an adjunct professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.{{cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Stark%20SJQ%20Public%20Final%20for%20Box.pdf|title=Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|accessdate=June 20, 2024}}

Federal judicial service

In 2007, the judges on the United States District Court for the District of Delaware selected Stark to be a United States magistrate judge in Wilmington.

On March 17, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Stark to fill the district court vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Kent A. Jordan to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 2006.[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/presidential-nominations-sent-senate-3172010 Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 3/17/2010], whitehouse.gov (March 17, 2010). On August 5, 2010, he was confirmed in the United States Senate by voice vote and he received his judicial commission on August 10, 2010. He became Chief Judge on July 1, 2014, and served until July 1, 2021. His service as the district court judge was terminated on March 17, 2022 when he was elevated to the court of appeals.

= Court of appeals service =

On November 3, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Stark to serve as a United States circuit judge for the Federal Circuit.{{Cite press release |title=President Biden Names Ninth Round of Judicial Nominees |date=November 3, 2021 |publisher=The White House |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/03/president-biden-names-ninth-round-of-judicial-nominees/ |access-date=November 3, 2021}} {{PD-notice}} President Biden nominated Stark to the seat vacated by Judge Kathleen M. O'Malley, who subsequently retired on March 11, 2022.{{Cite press release |title=Nominations Sent to the Senate |date=November 3, 2021 |publisher=The White House |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/03/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-43/}} {{PD-notice}} On December 1, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.{{Cite web |title=Nominations |date=December 1, 2021 |publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/11/24/2021/nominations}} On January 3, 2022, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate;{{Cite web |date=January 3, 2022 |title=PN1358 - Nomination of Leonard Philip Stark for The Judiciary, 117th Congress (2021-2022) |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/117th-congress/1358 |access-date=January 4, 2022 |website=www.congress.gov}} he was later renominated the same day.{{Cite press release |title=Nominations Sent to the Senate |date=January 3, 2022 |publisher=The White House |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/01/03/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-53/}} {{PD-notice}} On January 13, 2022, his nomination was favorably reported by the committee by a 16–6 vote.{{cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Mark%20up%201.13.22%20Results.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – January 13, 2022|publisher=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|accessdate=January 13, 2022}} On January 20, 2022, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on his nomination. On February 3, 2022, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 54–33 vote.{{Cite web |date=February 3, 2022|title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Leonard Philip Stark to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit)|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1172/vote_117_2_00035.htm|access-date=February 3, 2022|website=United States Senate}} On February 9, 2022, his nomination was confirmed by a 61–35 vote.{{Cite web|date=February 9, 2022|title=On the Nomination (Confirmation: Leonard Philip Stark, of Delaware, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit)|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1172/vote_117_2_00049.htm|access-date=February 10, 2022|website=United States Senate}} He received his judicial commission on March 16, 2022. He was sworn in on March 17, 2022.{{Cite web|date=March 17, 2022|title=Swearing-in of the Honorable Leonard P. Stark|url=https://cafc.uscourts.gov/swearing-in-of-the-honorable-leonard-p-stark/|website=United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit|access-date=May 27, 2023}}