A Trump-appointed judge has received a green light from the U.S. Senate to operate on the bench at the federal level in north Mississippi.
The Senate voted 51-46 on Tuesday to approve Robert Chamberlin to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. Chamberlin, a current member of the Mississippi Supreme Court, won an open seat for the post in 2016 and ran unopposed during the 2024 election cycle.
He previously served as a circuit court judge for the 17th Circuit District and as a state senator representing DeSoto County, and was appointed by the commander-in-chief to hold a federal judgeship position back in August.
“I’m pleased the Senate has confirmed Justice Chamberlin to serve on the U.S. District Court,” U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) said. “His record on the bench in Mississippi, as well as his community service, make him very qualified to serve on the federal judiciary, which is why President Trump nominated him. I congratulate him and wish him every success in continuing to serve the people of Mississippi.”
On Tuesday, the Senate also approved the nomination of Mississippi Supreme Court Justice James Maxwell II. Like Chamberlin, Maxwell was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve in the same courthouse.
Maxwell was appointed to the state’s high court in 2016 and won re-election later that year before running unopposed in 2024. Before reaching the state’s high court, he served as a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals and worked as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi.
“I’m extremely pleased with the confirmation of Justice James Maxwell to serve as a U.S. District Court judge,” Hyde-Smith added. “As he has done on the Mississippi Supreme Court and throughout his career as a jurist, James will continue to exemplify a dedication to careful, principled jurisprudence and to upholding the rule of law. I believe he will serve the Northern District of Mississippi and our nation with distinction.”