James Maxwell Moody Jr.


James "Jay" Maxwell Moody Jr. is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas and former Circuit Judge for the Third Division of the Sixth Judicial District of Arkansas.

Biography

Moody was born in 1964 in El Dorado, Arkansas. Moody is the son of former Judge James Maxwell Moody, who retired from active service on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas when his son was elevated to the federal bench.
He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in 1986 from the University of Arkansas. He received his Juris Doctor in 1989 from the University of Arkansas Bowen School of Law. He became an associate in 1989 at the law firm of Wright, Lindsey & Jennings, LLP and became a partner at that firm in 1994. His focus at that firm was on civil litigation in state and federal Courts.
In 2003, he became a Circuit Judge for the Third Division of the Sixth Judicial District of Arkansas, a position he held till he received his commission for his federal judicial judgeship.

Federal judicial service

On July 25, 2013, President Obama nominated Moody to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, to the seat being vacated by Judge Susan Webber Wright, who took senior status on August 22, 2013. Moody's father has said he will retire from the federal district court in the Eastern District of Arkansas if his son wins Senate confirmation. James Maxwell Moody later retired from active service on March 7, 2014. On November 14, 2013, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported Moody's nomination to the full Senate. After the first session of the 113th Congress ended, Moody's nomination was returned to President Obama, who renominated Moody in January 2014. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported Moody's nomination to the full Senate on January 16, 2014. On February 12, 2014, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed for cloture on Moody's nomination. On Tuesday February 25, 2014 the Senate voted on the motion to invoke cloture on the Moody nomination. The motion to invoke cloture was agreed to by a vote of 58–34 with one senator voting 'present'. On February 25, 2014 his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 95–4. He received his judicial commission on March 10, 2014.