by Jayla Ward • 2 minutes
On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed former First Liberty attorney Jordan Pratt to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
“As an attorney at First Liberty, Jordan demonstrated a deep respect for and commitment to the Constitution and the religious liberty rights of all Americans,” said David Hacker, Vice President of Legal Services & Senior Counsel for First Liberty. “We are thrilled with his confirmation to the federal bench.”
“He brings a wealth of experience to the federal court, having argued important cases at nearly every level of the state and federal court systems,” he added.
Pratt most recently served as a judge on the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal. He was appointed to that position in 2023 by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Pratt served as Senior Counsel at First Liberty from 2021 to 2023. Among many legal matters and cases, Pratt was at the forefront of our defense of His Tabernacle Family Church, a congregation that challenged a discriminatory New York law that prohibits firearms at places of worship, but not in most secular establishments.
Pratt also led the effort to defend our clients who’ve faced unlawful religious discrimination at work, such as Valerie Kloosterman, a physician assistant fired by the University of Michigan Health system because of her religious beliefs.
Before joining First Liberty, Pratt served in various roles in state and federal government. He was senior counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice, deputy general counsel in the U.S. Small Business Administration, and deputy solicitor general in the Florida Office of the Attorney General.
At the DOJ, he advised the White House on judicial nominations and worked to secure the confirmation of numerous federal judges. As a Florida deputy solicitor general, he defended Florida’s most important policies at every level of the state and federal court systems, with successful arguments before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Florida Supreme Court, and First District Court of Appeal.
Pratt graduated as co-valedictorian of his undergraduate class at the University of Florida. He received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida College of Law, where he was a law review editor and president of the Christian Legal Society chapter. During law school, he interned for the Hon. Jeffrey S. Sutton on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
After law school, Pratt served as a law clerk to the Hon. Harvey E. Schlesinger on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the Hon. Jennifer W. Elrod on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
For Americans worried about their religious freedom and growing attacks on their constitutional rights, Pratt is precisely who you want as a federal judge. As a First Liberty attorney who represented and worked on behalf of clients of all faiths, beliefs and creeds, he knows what it means to give all Americans equal treatment before the law.
Pratt’s record shows he will treat all cases fairly and rule according to principle, not politics. He possesses a brilliant legal mind and clear commitment to the rule of law. He is someone who will uphold and apply the Constitution according to its original meaning and intent.
“He will be a tremendous judge, just as he was a wonderful colleague,” David added. “We wish him and his family all the best in this new chapter of his career.”
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