Scott L. Palk

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Scott L. Palk

| image = Scott L. Palk (cropped).jpg

| office = Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma

| term_start = October 31, 2017

| term_end =

| appointer = Donald Trump

| predecessor = Stephen P. Friot

| successor =

| birth_name = Scott Lawrence Palk

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1967}}

| birth_place = Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = Oklahoma State University (BS)
University of Oklahoma (JD)

}}

Scott Lawrence Palk (born 1967) is an American attorney and academic serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. He formerly served as the assistant dean at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

Education and legal career

Palk is a 1985 graduate of Charles Page High School in Sand Springs, Oklahoma.{{cite news |last1=Snyder |first1=Rachel |title=Education Foundation preparing for Hall of Fame banquet |url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/communities/sandsprings/education-foundation-preparing-for-hall-of-fame-banquet/article_8531d91e-781f-5642-bedc-544cdc9168ce.html |access-date=26 April 2019 |publisher=Sand Springs Leader |date=March 29, 2019}} He received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1989 from Oklahoma State University and a Juris Doctor in 1992 from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

From 1992 to 2002, Palk served as an assistant district attorney for Cleveland County in Norman, Oklahoma, serving as first assistant district attorney from 1999 to 2002. From 2002 to 2011, he served as an assistant United States attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Oklahoma, holding a number of managerial roles beginning in 2004, including deputy criminal chief and anti-terrorism advisory council coordinator. Palk won Prosecutor of the Year awards in 1993 and 2004.

From 2011 until his confirmation as a federal judge, he served as the assistant dean for students and assistant general counsel at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. In addition to overseeing admissions and providing legal counsel, he served as a consultant to the University's Threat Assessment Review Committee, advising in areas of criminal threat assessment and legal access.{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/12/16/president-obama-nominates-four-serve-united-states-district-courts|work=whitehouse.gov|title=President Obama Nominates Four to Serve on the United States District Courts|via=National Archives|date=December 16, 2015}}

Federal judicial service

= Expired district court nomination under Obama =

On December 16, 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Palk to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, to the seat vacated by Judge Stephen P. Friot, who assumed senior status on December 1, 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2015/12/16/senate-section/article/S8732-3|title=Congressional Record|website=www.congress.gov}}{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/12/16/presidential-nominations-sent-senate|work=whitehouse.gov|title=Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate|via=National Archives|date=December 16, 2015}} He received a hearing before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee on April 20, 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/04/20/2016/nominations|title=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|website=www.judiciary.senate.gov|date=April 20, 2016 }} On May 19, 2016, his nomination was reported out of committee by a voice vote.{{cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting%2005-19-16%20-%20UPDATED.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – May 19, 2016, Senate Judiciary Committee|publisher=}} His nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress.

=Renomination to district court under Trump=

On May 7, 2017, a White House official indicated that Palk would be renominated by President Donald Trump to the same seat.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/07/us/politics/trump-lower-court-nominees-conservatives.html|title=Trump to Announce Slate of Conservative Federal Court Nominees|first=Adam|last=Liptak|work=The New York Times |date=May 7, 2017|publisher=|via=NYTimes.com}} His renomination was announced on May 8, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/08/president-donald-j-trump-announces-judicial-candidate-nominations|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509012131/https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/08/president-donald-j-trump-announces-judicial-candidate-nominations|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 9, 2017|title=President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Candidate Nominations|date=May 8, 2017|publisher=The White House}}{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/08/nine-nominations-sent-senate-today|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170515081524/https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/08/nine-nominations-sent-senate-today|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 15, 2017|title=Nine Nominations Sent to the Senate Today|date=May 8, 2017|publisher=The White House}} On June 15, 2017, his nomination was reported out of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee by a 17–3 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting%2006-15-17.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – June 15, 2017|publisher=Senate Judiciary Committee}} On October 25, 2017, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 79–18 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=115&session=1&vote=00250|title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Scott L. Palk, of Oklahoma, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma)|website=United States Senate.gov|access-date=October 26, 2017}} On October 26, 2017, Palk was confirmed by a 79–16 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1151/vote_115_1_00251.htm|title=On the Nomination (Confirmation Scott L. Palk, of Oklahoma, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma)|date=October 26, 2017|website=United States Senate|access-date=October 26, 2017}} He received his judicial commission on October 31, 2017.{{FJC Bio|nid=3951691|inline=yes}}