President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Whitney Hermandorfer, who works in the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General as director of the Strategic Litigation Unit, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, marking the first judicial appointment of the president’s second term.
“I am pleased to announce the nomination of Whitney Hermandorfer to serve as a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Whitney has been serving the Great People of Tennessee, in the Attorney General’s Office, where she has strongly litigated in Court to protect Citizens from Federal Government Overreach,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Thursday evening.
Trump continued, “A former Co-Captain of the Princeton University Women’s Basketball Team, Whitney is a staunch defender of Girls’ and Women’s Sports. She has a long history of working for Judges and Justices who respect the RULE OF LAW, and protect our Constitution, including Justice Samuel Alito and two fine Supreme Court Justices I appointed in my First Term. Whitney is a Fighter who will inspire confidence in our Legal System. Thank you Whitney!”
The State of Tennessee has trusted Whitney Hermandorfer over and over with complex cases of national significance. She has never let us down. Her leadership of Tennessee's Strategic Litigation Unit sets a high bar of excellence at every level of the federal judiciary, all the way… pic.twitter.com/n4USvdVKJG
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) May 2, 2025
Trump’s nomination of Hermandorfer comes as U.S. Circuit Judge Jane Branstetter Stranch – an Obama appointee – announced her plan earlier this year to step down from active service on the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and take senior status.
As director of the Strategic Litigation Unit in Tennessee, Hermandorfer is tasked with leading the unit which focuses on handling “impactful litigation on behalf of Tennessee and its residents in state and federal courts, including defending the separation of powers and the constitutional rights of Tennesseans, protecting federalism principles and policing federal-government overreach, and pursuing transparency and accountability for certain corporate activities that undermine the democratic process and harm consumers.”
After graduating from Princeton University and George Washington University Law School, Hermandorfer went on to clerk for then-Judge Kavanaugh on the D.C. Circuit and Judge Richard Leon on the U.S. District Court for D.C.
Hermandorfer went on to clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel and for Justice Amy Coney Barrett before heading the Strategic Litigation Unit in Tennessee.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti applauded Trump’s nomination of Hermandorfer to the Court of Appeals, lauding her as “one of the very best litigators in America” and “perhaps the single most credentialed lawyer in America.”
“The State of Tennessee has trusted Whitney Hermandorfer over and over with complex cases of national significance. She has never let us down,” Skrmetti said.
“Whitney Hermandorfer is an outstanding nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit…President Trump has selected a lawyer’s lawyer for this important role. Whitney Hermandorfer’s unwavering commitment to the rule of law, her exacting analytical rigor, and her unshakeable optimism will serve our country well,” Skrmetti added. “Thank you, [President Trump], for your careful consideration of this important decision and for selecting an absolute rock star.”
Hermandorfer’s nomination by the president was also applauded by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, who said Trump made an “outstanding” pick in selecting Hermandorfer for the role.
“As neighbors to the north, our Office has been grateful for Whitney’s partnership as we uphold our laws and the Constitution. Whitney was one of the brilliant advocates behind our lawsuit to protect women’s sports, and her ability to see around legal corners led to key victories all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Coleman said.
“While I know our colleague, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, will be sorry to lose Whitney’s talent, Kentucky is eager to have her join our circuit bench. I’m proud to congratulate Whitney and her family, and we encourage the U.S. Senate to confirm her nomination,” Coleman added.
Tennessee U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) also applauded Trump’s nomination of Hermandorfer.
“I am delighted that President Donald Trump has nominated Whitney Hermandorfer, a native Tennessean, to serve as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit…Whitney is principled, genuine, kind, and has a brilliant legal mind that will make all Tennesseans proud. I will work tirelessly to ensure that Whitney is confirmed by the Senate,” Hagerty said.
“I am so pleased that President Trump has nominated Whitney Hermandorfer to fill the vacancy on the Sixth Circuit…Throughout Whitney’s esteemed career, she has demonstrated that she will be a fair-minded, principled jurist who will apply our nation’s laws as they are written and protect the constitutional rights of all Americans. The President could not have selected a better individual to be his first judicial nomination this term, and I look forward to swiftly advancing Whitney’s nomination through the Senate Judiciary Committee and onto the Senate floor to get her confirmed,” Blackburn said.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has jurisdiction over federal appeals arising from the states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. The Court sits in Cincinnati, Ohio at the Potter Stewart United States Courthouse.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Whitney Hermandorfer” by Federalist Society.
