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David Clay Wilkerson Fowlkes
Confirmed Trump 2.0
Confirmed to the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas.
On October 23, 2025, Donald Trump nominated David Clay to the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. He was confirmed on February 3, 2026.
Biography
Born in Harrison, Arkansas, Fowlkes earned his B.A. from Arkansas State University in 2000 and his J.D. from the University of Arkansas in 2003.
Legal Experience
Fowlkes began his career working as a summer law clerk at the Womack, Landis, Phelps, McNeil, and McDaniel Law Firm (summer 2001) and the Davis, Wright, Clark, Butt & Carithers Law Firm (summer 2002). Following law school, he worked with the Benton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office first as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney (2003-2005), then as Division Chief (2005-2007).
From there, he worked as an Assistant United States Attorney (2007-2014), Deputy Criminal Chief (2014-2015), Criminal Chief (2015-2016), First Assistant United States Attorney (2016-2020), and became United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas (2020-2025).
Key Facts and Context:
- Member of the Benton County Bar Association (2003-2007)
- Member of the Christian Legal Society, Member (2000-2003), served as President of the Arkansas Student Chapter from 2002-2003
- First Baptist Church member (2002-Present), now serves as a Deacon (2005- Present)
- Previously clerked for Michael Spann of the Alaska Superior Court
- Prosecuted a wide variety of cases from misdemeanor DWI cases to murder. Later, served as a coordinator for the Project Safe Neighborhood program, prosecuting illegal firearm possession cases, violent crime, drug trafficking crimes, and child exploitation cases. Then became the lead task attorney for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program before serving as the United States Attorney