Federal Prosecutor Krissa M. Lanham Joins Federal Bench in Arizona
Lanham becomes the 199th federal judge confirmed during Joe Biden's presidency.
The U.S. Senate today held a recorded vote to confirm one individual as an Article III federal judge. With this confirmation, 199 judges nominated by President Joe Biden have now been confirmed by the Senate. With today’s action, 154 of Biden’s judicial nominees have been approved for service on federal district courts.
In a 66-26 vote, Krissa M. Lanham was confirmed as a Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. She is Biden’s first confirmation to the 13-person court, with two additional vacancies where the Senate will be voting on another nominee tomorrow while the President has not yet tapped anyone for the other vacancy.
Lanham assumes the Phoenix-based seat currently held by Douglas L. Rayes, who intends to take senior status in June 2024. A nominee of President Barack Obama, Rayes has served on this court since May 2014. Lanham was nominated to this seat on the federal judiciary by Biden in February 2024.
Lanham has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona since 2009. She has been the office’s human trafficking coordinator from 2012 to 2015, Deputy Chief of the Appellate Division from 2015 to 2020, and Chief of the Appellate Division since 2020.