Young Introduces Judge Doris L. Pryor, Nominee for Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, During Judiciary Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON – Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) today introduced U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Indiana Doris L. Pryor during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Judge Pryor has been nominated to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes the state of Indiana. 

During his remarks, Young spoke about Judge Pryor’s background and outlined why he supports her nomination. Young’s full remarks are below:

“Thank you, Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Grassley, and members of the committee. 

“Today, I’m honored to appear before you to introduce Judge Doris Pryor, President Biden’s nominee to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

“Judge Pryor, welcome. 

“I’m appreciative of the President’s willingness to consult with me and Senator Braun when this position became available in an effort to appoint a judge who has earned respect and support from all sides of the political aisle.

“I’m confident that this committee will be just as impressed with Judge Pryor as I have been. 

“Judge Pryor is not a Hoosier by birth – she was born and raised in Arkansas – but she came to Indiana University for law school.

“Following law school, she returned to Arkansas to clerk for Judge Leon Holmes and Judge Lavenski Smith. 

“She also served as a public defender in Arkansas before returning to Indiana to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Indiana.

“Since March 1, 2018, Judge Pryor has served as Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Indiana.

“As you can tell, she has experience on all sides of the courtroom. She understands the difference between the role of an advocate and the role of a judge, and she has experience both on the criminal side and on the civil side of the docket.

“Since her name came up, I’ve heard an outpouring of support from across the Indiana legal community, including a diverse array of support letters that have been provided to the committee.  

“I would also be remiss if I failed to mention the historic nature of this appointment. If confirmed, Judge Pryor will be the first African American from Indiana ever to serve on the Seventh Circuit. 

“For all these reasons, I support Judge Pryor’s nomination, and I look forward to voting to confirm her on the Senate floor. Thank you.”