Eastern District of Virginia / Appointed 1987 / Served to 2025
Thomas Selby Ellis III
Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and confirmed by voice vote, Thomas Selby Ellis III was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1969. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, August 5, 1987
- Appointed by
- Ronald Reagan, 1987
- Confirmed
- by voice vote
- Education
- Princeton 1961 · Harvard Law School 1969
- Succeeded
- Robert Reynold Merhige Jr.
- Succeeded by
- Mark Steven Davis
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Eastern District of Virginia · succeeded Robert Reynold Merhige Jr. | Reagan (R) | voice |
A per-senator roll-call isn’t shown for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many confirmations (especially before then, and most to the lower courts) were by voice vote or unanimous consent.
Education
| Princeton University | B.S.E. | 1961 |
| Harvard Law School | J.D. | 1969 |
| University of Oxford Faculty of Law | Diploma in Law | 1970 |
Sources
37 years on the Eastern District of Virginia. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).