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sbibas

Photo by Penn Law

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he intends to nominate Penn Law Professor Stephanos Bibas as a circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, according to a statement from the White House.

Bibas would have jurisdiction over Penn, as the Third Circuit includes the Eastern, Western and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, in addition to the Districts of New Jersey, Delaware, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“We are tremendously proud that Stephanos Bibas has been nominated to the Third Circuit,” Penn Law Dean Ted Ruger said, in an announcement by Penn Law. “In the course of his career, he has produced incisive scholarship, advocated outstandingly for the clients of the Supreme Court Clinic, and been a mentor to many Penn Law students. His intellect, experience, and character make him an exceptional choice for the federal bench.”

A professor of law and criminology, Bibas also serves as director of Penn Law’s Supreme Court Clinic. He is a former federal prosecutor and has argued in front of the Supreme Court six times.

At Penn, he has been involved in the campaign for open expression, serving as the chair of the Committee on Open Expression in the 2014-2015 academic year, one of the Committee’s historically more active years. He also was involved in the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice.

Bibas is widely revered among members of the Penn community, especially among his students at Penn Law.

“I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to take two courses with Professor Bibas during my time at Penn Law,” said 2017 Penn Law graduate Peter Fishkind, who also served as the president of Penn Law’s Council of Student Representatives. “It was abundantly clear, both in the classroom and in getting to know him outside of it, that he has a brilliant legal mind and that he is a good man.”

If confirmed, Professor Bibas will join a number of other Penn Law affiliates sitting at the Third Circuit, including two Penn Law alumni, two current adjunct professors, one previous adjunct professor, and one Senior Fellow.

“I’ve had the great good fortune to learn from outstanding jurists, including Judge Higginbotham and Justice Kennedy, and have learned a tremendous amount from my colleagues and students at Penn Law,” Bibas said in the Penn Law announcement.