John A. Kazen | |
Office: | Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas |
Term Start: | January 12, 2024 |
Appointer: | Joe Biden |
Predecessor: | Vanessa Gilmore |
Office1: | Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas |
Term Start1: | June 13, 2018 |
Term End1: | January 12, 2024 |
Birth Name: | John Andrew Kazen |
Birth Place: | Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. |
Father: | George P. Kazen |
Education: | University of Texas at Austin (BA) University of Houston (JD) |
John Andrew Kazen (born 1964)[1] is an American lawyer from Texas who has served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas since 2024. He previously served as a United States magistrate judgeof the same court from 2018 to 2024.
Kazen received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center in 1990.[2]
From 1990 to 1991, Kazen served as a law clerk for Judge Robert Manley Parker of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. From 1991 to 1997, he was a civil litigator at Kemp, Smith, Duncan, & Hammond, P.C. in El Paso. From 1997 to 2018, he was a partner at the law firm he established, Kazen, Meurer, & Pérez, L.L.P. in Laredo.
Kazen was appointed as a United States magistrate judge on June 13, 2018, and sworn in by Judge Diana Saldaña on the same day.[3]
On August 30, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Kazen to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Kazen was recommended as a district judge by Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.[4] On September 11, 2023, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Kazen to the seat vacated by Judge Vanessa Gilmore, who retired on January 2, 2022.[5] On October 4, 2023, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[6] On October 26, 2023, his nomination was reported out of committee by a voice vote.[7] On January 8, 2024, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 73–15 vote.[8] On January 9, 2024, his nomination was confirmed by an 83–14 vote.[9] He received his judicial commission on January 12, 2024, and he was sworn in by Judge Saldaña on the same day.[10]
Kazen is the son of former Judge George P. Kazen who served on the Southern District from 1979 to 2018.[11]