Mary Kay Costello

American judge (born 1968)
Mary Kay Costello
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 19, 2024
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byCynthia M. Rufe
Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
In office
August 2024 – September 19, 2024
Personal details
Born
Mary Kathleen Costello

1968 (age 55–56)
Bristol, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationTemple University (BA, JD)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Air Force
Years of service1986–1994
RankStaff sergeant
Awards
See list

Mary Kay Costello (born 1968)[1] is an American lawyer who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania since September 2024. She previously served as a magistrate judge of the same court from August 2024 to September 2024.

Education

Costello earned a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Temple University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2001.[2]

Career

Military service

Costello joined the U.S. Air Force in 1986. She served for eight years as a communications-computer systems operator, receiving an honorable discharge in 1994 as a staff sergeant.[3]

Law career

From 2001 to 2004, Costello was an associate at Saul Ewing LLP and from 2004 to 2008, she was a litigation associate at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. From 2008 to 2024, she served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,[2] where she prosecuted cases that include public corruption, fraud, and drug trafficking.[3] On August 2024, she left the office while her nomination was pending to be sworn in to serve as a magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.[4]

Federal judicial service

On June 12, 2024, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Costello to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. On June 13, 2024, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Costello to the seat vacated by Judge Cynthia M. Rufe, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2021.[5] On July 10, 2024, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[6] On August 1, 2024, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–7 vote.[7] On September 17, 2024, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 54–42 vote.[8] Later that day, her nomination was confirmed by a 52–41 vote.[9][4] With her confirmation, Costello is President Biden's 12th LGBT appointed judge.[10] She received her judicial commission on September 19, 2024.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "President Biden Names Fifty-First Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Ulrich, Steve (June 12, 2024). "Costello Nominated to U.S. District Court for Eastern PA". www.politicspa.com. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Raymond, Nate. "Biden makes history with 12th Senate-confirmed LGBTQ judge". Reuters. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  5. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. June 13, 2024.
  6. ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. July 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – August 1, 2024" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  8. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Mary Kathleen Costello to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania)". United States Senate. September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Mary Kathleen Costello, of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania)". United States Senate. September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  10. ^ "Fetterman, Casey Celebrate Historic Confirmation of Mary Kay Costello" (Press release). September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024. This marks President Biden's twelfth openly LGBTQ+ federal judge, setting a new record for the most LGBTQ+ judges appointed by any president in U.S. history
  11. ^ Mary Kay Costello at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
2024–present 		Incumbent