G. Todd Butler nominated to U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

President Donald Trump has nominated G. Todd Butler, a Mississippi appellate attorney, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Butler would succeed Judge Leslie Southwick, who has elected to take senior status.

Butler is currently the managing partner of the Jackson, Mississippi, office of the Phelps Dunbar law firm. His legal background includes expertise in appellate litigation, constitutional law, civil rights, labor, and employment law. He has also served as general counsel for several Mississippi municipal insurance and workers’ compensation groups.

The Fifth Circuit is a significant federal appeals court with jurisdiction over cases from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Butler’s nomination has received endorsements from Mississippi Republican Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, who praised his commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its original text.