The U.S. Senate has confirmed Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe to a judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, a key appointment for one of the country’s most active federal jurisdictions. Confirmed by a vote of 53-46, Judge Moe will fill the seat vacated by Judge Brian J. Davis, who has taken senior status. This confirmation underscores the enduring impact of judicial nominations and places a judge with a robust state court background into a powerful federal role.
Judge Moe’s credentials outline a career meticulously built for such a position. After earning her law degree from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, she served a critical clerkship in the very district court she will now help lead. This foundational experience in the federal system was complemented by her work in private practice at Bush Ross, P.A. in Tampa, where she developed a specialized focus on complex commercial litigation, giving her practical insight into the very types of cases that will dominate her docket.
Her judicial temperament was refined through successive appointments within Florida’s state judiciary. Governor Rick Scott first placed her on the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court in 2017, where she managed a substantial trial docket. Her performance there led to a promotion by Governor Ron DeSantis to the Second District Court of Appeal in 2024. In this appellate capacity, she engaged directly with questions of statutory interpretation and constitutional law, earning recognition for her careful, text-based reasoning and procedural rigor.
Sitting on the federal bench, Judge Moe is now poised to rule on matters of national importance, including constitutional law, multi-district litigation, and major commercial disputes. Given her comprehensive background—spanning federal clerking, private practice, state trial courts, and a state appellate court—she is uniquely prepared for the demands of this role. The legal community will be watching closely, expecting her opinions to reflect a consistent judicial restraint and a scrupulous attention to the details of the law, setting precedents that will resonate throughout the Eleventh Circuit and the nation.
