Kevin C. Newsom

Kevin Newsom was born in Birmingham, Alabama, to Susan and Michael Alan Newsom, an attorney. Newsom attended Homewood High School in Birmingham. In 1994, Newsom received a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude from Samford University, graduating first in his class. In 1997, he graduated from Harvard Law School with a Juris Doctor, where he was Articles Editor of the Harvard Law Review. After graduation, Newsom served as a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He then clerked for Justice David Souter of the United States Supreme Court from 1998 to 1999. Following his clerkships, he worked for Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He served for three and a half years as the State of Alabama's Solicitor General. He was formerly a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Birmingham, Alabama, where his practice focused on appellate litigation.

Newsom serves on the Board of Overseers of Samford University. He is a member of the Federalist Society and the American Law Institute.

On May 8, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Newsom to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit vacated by Judge Joel F. Dubina who took senior status on October 24, 2013, and who has since retired. A hearing on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee took place on June 14, 2017. His nomination was reported out of committee by a vote of 18–2 on July 13. On July 31, cloture was invoked on his nomination by a vote of 68–26, and his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 66-31 on August 1, 2017. He received his judicial commission on August 2, 2017.

In 1994, Newsom married Deborah E. Wilgus, who also attended Samford University, and they have two children.