Gregg Costa

Gregg Jeffrey Costa (born June 19, 1972) is an American attorney who is a former United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Early life and education

Costa was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but grew up in Richardson, Texas, where he attended Richardson High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1994 from Dartmouth College. While at Dartmouth, Costa interned for the Democratic National Committee. After college, Costa taught elementary school in Sunflower, Mississippi, as part of the Teach for America program from 1994 until 1996. He then earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law in 1999, where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Law Review. In February 2011, Stanford sued Costa and his fellow prosecutor Paul Pelletier, along with several employees of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, complaining of "abusive law enforcement" and seeking $7.2 billion in damages. In March 2011, Stanford's attorneys argued that the defendant's right to a speedy trial had been violated. Costa, however, told the Associated Press that delays largely were the result of Stanford's own requests for continuances. In March 2012, Stanford was found guilty on 13 of 14 counts including fraud, obstructing investigators and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Federal judicial service

District court service

In July 2011, Texas's two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, sent a letter to President Barack Obama, recommending that he nominate Costa to the vacant seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas that had been created when Judge John David Rainey took senior status in June 2010. The seat would be based in the Galveston Division. The anticipated nomination earned bipartisan support, as Democratic United States Representative Lloyd Doggett, who serves as the spokesman for Texas Democrats on federal judicial matters, urged the president to nominate Costa as well. He received his commission the same day. He received a hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on February 25, 2014. On March 27, 2014, Costa's nomination was reported out of committee by a voice vote. On May 13, 2014, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed for cloture on Costa's nomination. On May 15, 2014, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 58–36 vote. On May 20, 2014, he was confirmed by a 97–0 vote. He received his commission on June 2, 2014. Costa resigned on August 31, 2022.

Post-judicial career

In September 2022, Costa became a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.