Who appointed Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard?

President Barack Obama appointed Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2013.

Was Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?

Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard was appointed by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.

What was Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard's confirmation vote?

The Senate confirmed Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard 51–44 on December 12, 2013.

District of Columbia Circuit / Appointed 2013 / Active

Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard

Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2013 and confirmed by the Senate 51–44, Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard is a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1987. Sources ↓

Born: 1961 · age 65
Appointed by: Barack Obama, 2013
Confirmed: 51–44
Education: Yale College 1983 · Harvard Law School 1987
Succeeded: Douglas Howard Ginsburg

Federal judicial service

Year	Court	Appointed by	Vote
2013	District of Columbia Circuit succeeded Douglas Howard Ginsburg	Obama (D)	51–44

Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own.

Confirmation vote

Nomination Confirmed 51–44 on December 12, 2013 · 113th Congress, Roll Call 256. Each senator links to their judicial-voting record.

Voted to confirm · 51

49 D, 2 I

Voted against · 44

3 D, 41 R

Did not vote · 5

1 D, 4 R

Education

Yale College	B.A.	1983
Harvard Law School	J.D.	1987

Before the bench

Professional career before and outside the federal bench, as recorded by the Federal Judicial Center.

Law clerk, Hon. Louis H. Pollak, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania	1987-1988
Marvin M. Karpatkin Fellow, American Civil Liberties Union, New York City	1988-1989
Assistant counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, New York City	1989-1994
Assistant to the solicitor general, U.S. Department of Justice	1994-1997
Faculty, Georgetown University Law Center, 1997-1998, 2000-2013; associate professor, 1997-1998, 2000-2005; professor	2005-2013
Deputy assistant attorney general, Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice	1998-2000

Questions & answers

Who appointed Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard?: President Barack Obama appointed Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2013.
Was Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?: Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard was appointed by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
What was Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard's confirmation vote?: The Senate confirmed Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard 51–44 on December 12, 2013.
Which court is Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard on?: Cornelia Thayer Livingston Pillard is a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Sources

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12 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Data as of 2026-09-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).