Senate Confirms Alabama Solicitor General Edmund LaCour As Federal Judge
The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Alabama Solicitor General Edmund “Eddie” LaCour Jr. as a federal district judge for the Northern District of Alabama, marking another judicial victory for President Donald J. Trump and the state’s conservative leadership.
The 51–47 vote broke strictly along party lines, filling the vacancy left by Chief Judge L. Scott Coogler, who retired earlier this year, Yellowhammer News reported.
LaCour’s confirmation continues a series of successful judicial appointments championed by Alabama’s Republican senators. It follows the recent confirmations of former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Bill Lewis and Huntsville attorney Hal Mooty, strengthening the conservative bench across the state’s federal courts.
Serving as Solicitor General under Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall since 2019, LaCour has argued some of the state’s most consequential legal battles, including Allen v. Milligan, the redistricting case that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
His confirmation also closes a political chapter dating back to 2020, when LaCour was first nominated to the bench but blocked by then-Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, who exercised his home-state prerogative to stall the appointment. With both of Alabama’s Senate seats now held by Republicans, the path cleared easily this time.
President Trump re-nominated LaCour earlier this year as part of his renewed push to restore constitutionalist judges to the federal judiciary—particularly across the South, where conservative legal principles remain deeply rooted.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), who led the confirmation effort with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), praised LaCour’s credentials as unmatched in modern appellate law.
“He is admitted to practice before every circuit court of appeals in our nation, as well as the Supreme Court where he has filed more than 100 briefs and argued three cases,” Britt said. “His legal acumen is unparalleled, and I have every confidence he will serve the Northern District exceptionally.”
Tuberville echoed that praise, saying LaCour “has done an excellent job as Alabama’s Solicitor General” and “will continue his great work as a federal district court judge.”
The Alabama Attorney General’s Office also hailed the appointment as a victory for the rule of law.
“Eddie is a brilliant and principled lawyer who brought a deep respect for the Constitution and the rule of law to every aspect of his work,” Attorney General Steve Marshall said. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, Alabama, and the nation, will continue to benefit from Eddie’s unwavering integrity and exceptional service.”
Marshall continued, highlighting LaCour’s national reputation:
“As solicitor general, Eddie left an indelible mark on some of the most consequential legal battles of our time. His unmatched skill and sharp constitutional insight earned him respect at every level of the judiciary, including the U.S. Supreme Court. President Trump could not have made a better choice.”
Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, LaCour was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C., and previously practiced at Bancroft PLLC and Baker Botts LLP. A native of Dothan, Alabama, LaCour earned his law degree from Yale Law School, a Master of Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin, and graduated summa cum laude from Birmingham-Southern College. He clerked for Judge William H. Pryor Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
With LaCour, Lewis, and Mooty now on the federal bench, Alabama’s judiciary enters 2026 firmly aligned with constitutionalist and originalist principles — a clear testament to President Trump’s ongoing impact on reshaping America’s courts.