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Thomas Lamson Ludington
Thomas Lamson Ludington (born December 28, 1953) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Although the Eastern District of Michigan's other 14 judges cover the Southern Division, Ludington is the only judge for the entire Northern Division,[2] which covers nearly a quarter of Michigan's land mass.[3] Education and careerBorn in Midland, Michigan, Ludington received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Albion College in 1976 and a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1979. During the summers of 1976 and 1977, he directed the water-ski school for Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana. He was in private practice in Michigan from 1980 to 1994. He was a judge on the Midland County Circuit Court from 1994 to 2006, serving as Chief Judge of that court from 1999 to 2006. Federal judicial serviceLudington was originally nominated through President George W. Bush on September 12, 2002, to a federal judgeship in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan vacated by Paul V. Gadola. During this time the judicial nomination process was blocked by Democrats in the United States Senate, and Ludington's appointment was delayed for 1,365 days. Ludington was later confirmed unanimously on June 8, 2006, and received his commission on June 12, 2006. In 2023, the American Bar Association awarded Ludington the Honorable William D. Missouri Civility Award,[4] identifying him as the judge in the United States with the most "exceptional qualities of civility, courtesy, and professionalism toward colleagues, litigants, and the public."[5] Ludington was nominated by his chambers staff and law clerks, supported by letters of recommendation from fellow judges in Michigan’s Eastern District and a judge with the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.[6] “Judge Ludington treats those with whom he interacts with dignity and respect. He is a kind and gracious man." said Judge David M. Lawson.[6] His staff “treats every litigant with respect and kindness,” wrote Judge Judith E. Levy.[6] “This emanates from Judge Ludington, there can be no doubt about that. He sets the tone for the building and all of its staff, and it is one of kindness and cooperation.”[6] Notable opinionsIn Al-Sadoon v. Lynch, 586 F. Supp. 3d 713 (E.D. Mich. 2022),[7] Ludington granted habeas relief—for the first time in his nearly 30-year tenure as a judge—to Ali Najim Al-Sadoon, who was forgotten in detention as a result of the Biden Administration's February 18, 2021 reprioritization of removable immigration detainees.[7] Ludington found that the government had detained Al-Sadoon "not charged with any crime, for 757 days—more than 17% of his life," which was "longer than any other [habeas] petitioner—ever."[7] References
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