The U.S. Senate confirmed Alabama Solicitor General Edmund “Eddie” LaCour Jr. on Wednesday as a federal judge for the Northern District of Alabama, in a 51-47 party-line vote.
He will take over the seat vacated by Chief Judge L. Scott Coogler, who retired earlier this year, according to Yellowhammer News.
LaCour’s confirmation continues a string of federal judicial appointments backed by Alabama’s Senate delegation, following the recent confirmations of former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Bill Lewis and Huntsville attorney Hal Mooty.
Since 2019, LaCour has served as Alabama’s Solicitor General under Attorney General Steve Marshall, handling high-profile appellate cases, including the landmark redistricting case Allen v. Milligan before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The nomination process for LaCour began in 2020, but he was initially blocked by then-Senator Doug Jones. With both of Alabama’s Senate seats now held by Republicans, his confirmation moved forward. President Trump formally nominated him earlier this year as part of an effort to fill federal vacancies in Alabama and other southern states.
Senator Katie Britt, who led the confirmation effort alongside Senator Tommy Tuberville, praised LaCour’s extensive legal experience. “He is admitted to practice before every circuit court of appeals in our nation, as well as the Supreme Court, where he has filed more than 100 briefs and argued three cases,” Britt said. Tuberville also highlighted LaCour’s work as Alabama’s Solicitor General and expressed confidence in his abilities on the federal bench.
Attorney General Steve Marshall called LaCour “a brilliant and principled lawyer who brought a deep respect for the Constitution and the rule of law to every aspect of his work,” praising his Supreme Court experience and legal expertise.
Before serving as Solicitor General, LaCour was deputy solicitor general and a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C., representing clients in major cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, federal appellate courts, and trial courts. He also practiced at Bancroft PLLC in Washington and Baker Botts LLP in Houston.
A native of Dothan, Alabama, LaCour earned his J.D. from Yale Law School, a Master of Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin, and a summa cum laude bachelor’s degree from Birmingham-Southern College. He clerked for Judge William H. Pryor Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.