Thomas B. Russell

Thomas Russell
Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
Incumbent
Assumed office May 19, 2015
Preceded by	Mary McLaughlin
Chief Judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
In office 2008–2011
Preceded by	John Heyburn
Succeeded by	Joseph McKinley
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
In office October 11, 1994 – November 15, 2011
Appointed by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Edward Johnstone
Succeeded by	Gregory Stivers
Personal details
Born	1945 (age 70–71) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Alma mater	Western Kentucky University (BA) University of Kentucky (JD)

Thomas Banister Russell (born 1945) is a Senior United States District Judge.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Russell received a B.A. from Western Kentucky University in 1967 and a J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1970. He was in private practice in Paducah, Kentucky from 1970 to 1994.

On September 14, 1994, Russell was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky vacated by Edward H. Johnstone. Russell was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 7, 1994, and received his commission on October 11, 1994. He served as Chief Judge from 2008 to 2011. He took senior status on November 15, 2011. He is now one of the 13 Federal Judges of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. He was appointed on May 19, 2015 by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Sources

• Thomas B. Russell at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.