WASHINGTON, D.C. — Attorney Thomas H. Kleeh has been confirmed by the Senate as U.S. district judge for Northern West Virginia.
The vote was 65-30.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., recommended Kleeh for the position and introduced him at his confirmation hearing in April.
“I recommended Tom to President Trump because of his exceptional qualifications and his outstanding reputation,” Capito said in a statement.
“As I’ve said since he was first nominated, I have no doubt that Tom will be a fair, diligent and effective judge on the U.S. District Court and will make West Virginians proud as he continues working to uphold the rule of law,” she said. “I was proud to support his confirmation and look forward to working together as he assumes this important new role.
The senator also noted the service of Senior U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley, who has continued to handle cases since she stepped down from full status last August.
“I’d also like to thank Judge Keeley, who has honorably served the Northern District for more than 25 years now. She has been an incredible example of what public service on the U.S. District Court should look like, and I know Tom will do the same,” Capito said.
Kleeh is a member of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, where he has practiced as a litigator in the firm’s labor and employment group representing private- and public-sector clients for the last 19 years.
During that time, he has litigated hundreds of employment law and general litigation matters before federal and state courts and administrative agencies.
Since 2015, Kleeh has also served as staff counsel for the state Senate Judiciary Committee, where he has presented legislation and advised the Senate on a range of issues.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University, graduating summa cum laude, and his Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University College of Law, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and served as editor-in-chief of the West Virginia Law Review.