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Ritz, Kevin Gafford

Born 1974 in Petersburg, VA

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Nominated by Joseph R. Biden on March 21, 2024, to a seat vacated by Julia Smith Gibbons. Confirmed by the Senate on September 16, 2024, and received commission on September 19, 2024.

Education:
University of Virginia, B.A., 1997
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, M.S., 1999
University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 2004

Professional Career:

Law clerk, Hon. Julia S. Gibbons, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2004-2005
Assistant U.S. attorney, Western District of Tennessee, 2005-2022; criminal appellate chief, 2010-2018; special counsel to the U.S. attorney, 2011-2022; appellate chief, 2018-2022
Adjunct professor, University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, 2008-2016
U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, 2022-2024