President Donald Trump announced Monday afternoon he has nominated Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Falvey, who works as Appellate Division Chief, to serve as a federal judge in the Northern District of Indiana.
“I am pleased to nominate Joseph Falvey to serve as Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Joe is currently an Assistant U.S. Attorney, where he has done an incredible job protecting Public Safety, and promoting Law and Order.”
Federal judiciary records show longtime Hammond U.S. District Judge Philip Simon indicated last month he plans to retire in July 2027. Simon was sworn in as a federal judge in Hammond in 2003. He was nominated for a spot on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in late 2008 by then-President George W. Bush, but the nomination stalled and was not voted upon before Barack Obama became President in January 2009, according to Post-Tribune archives.
Bernard Beier, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Hammond referred questions to the White House, who did not respond to questions by a press deadline.
Both of Indiana’s Republican U.S. Senators said they would support his nomination.
“Joe has dedicated much of his career to serving our country, from his service in the Marine Corps to his work in our federal judicial system,” U.S. Senator Todd Young said in a release. “His extensive legal experience and commitment to public service will serve Hoosiers well on the federal bench.”
“Joe Falvey has been a warrior for everything that makes America great,” U.S. Senator Jim Banks said in a release. “He served our country honorably in Afghanistan and has been helping Adam Mildred keep the Northern District of Indiana safe as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.”
He also noted Falvey was a Pat Tillman scholar.
Young’s office said Falvey is an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Indiana, which includes Hammond, South Bend and Fort Wayne. He previously clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Griffith and Judge Dabney Friedrich, both in the District of Columbia.
Falvey earned a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame and a law degree from Yale, and served in the U.S. Marines, Young’s office said in a release. Media representatives from Notre Dame and Yale Law School said he graduated from each school in 2009 and 2017, respectively.
Reuters is reporting that Falvey’s nomination could likely be taken up by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee next month — just after the midterm elections, but before a new U.S. Congress is sworn in January.
Simon has overseen several high-profile and technically complex legal cases, including multi-man indictments of the Gary-based Sin City Motorcycle Club.