Samuel Adkisson

On August 14, 2026, President Trump nominated Samuel Adkisson to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Biography 

Samuel Adkisson attended Vanderbilt University from 2011 to 2015 and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science in 2015. He then attended Yale Law School from 2015 to 2018 and graduated with a J.D. in 2018.

Legal Experience

While in law school, Adkisson worked for Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in his role as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman during Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing. After graduating, he spent three years as a federal clerk: first for Judge Gregory Katsas on the D.C. Circuit, then for Judge Amul Thapar on the Sixth Circuit, and finally for Chief Justice John Roberts on the Supreme Court. In 2022, Adkisson joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as an associate. He then spent a year as an associate at Cooper & Kirk, where he focused on high-stakes civil rights, political, and constitutional disputes. In January 2025, Adkisson started his current role at the White House Counsel’s Office as an Associate Counsel and Special Assistant to the President.

Key Facts and Context 

• Trump specifically highlighted Adkisson’s role in Trump v. Slaughter, the case in which the Supreme Court held that the president has the power to fire anyone without cause from independent executive agencies.

• While at Cooper & Kirk, Adkisson litigated class actions challenging the FAA’s DEI hiring practices for air traffic controllers and the University of Oklahoma’s financial aid policies.

• Adkisson was also involved in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the landmark case challenging Harvard’s affirmative action policies.

• Adkisson also represented Florida’s state government in its effort to defeat a 2024 abortion referendum ballot question.

• Additionally, Adkisson performed appellate work on behalf of X (formerly Twitter).