Joseph Frank Bianco

Joseph Frank Bianco (born September 11, 1966) is an American lawyer and jurist who has been a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since 2019. He was formerly a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Early life and education Bianco was born on September 11, 1966, in Flushing, Queens. He graduated from Georgetown University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude. He then attended Columbia Law School, where he was an editor of the Columbia Law Review. He graduated in 1991 with a Juris Doctor.

From 1994 to 2003, Bianco served as an assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of New York. In 2003 and 2004, he was counsel at Debevoise & Plimpton. Before becoming a judge, Bianco was senior counsel and a deputy assistant attorney general in the United States Department of Justice Criminal Division. As a district court judge, Bianco oversaw a number of murder cases against MS-13 gang members. His service on the district court terminated upon his elevation to the court of appeals on May 17, 2019. On November 13, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Trump nominated Bianco to the seat vacated by Judge Reena Raggi, who assumed senior status on August 31, 2018. Also on November 13, 2018, the American Bar Association unanimously rated Bianco as "Well Qualified," its highest rating.

On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January 23, 2019, Trump announced his intent to renominate Bianco to a federal judgeship. His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day. On February 13, 2019, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On March 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On May 6, 2019, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 51–40 vote. On May 8, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a 54–42 vote. He received his judicial commission on May 13, 2019.