Richard E. Myers II

Richard Ernest Myers II (born 1967) is a former law professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law and a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Myers was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, as a child. Myers is black. His voter registration states that he belongs to "two or more races." Myers earned his Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, and his Master of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He worked as a reporter for the Star-News from 1991 to 1995, where he covered the murder of James Jordan, the father of Michael Jordan. In 1998, he received his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he served as an Articles Editor on the North Carolina Law Review. He graduated Order of the Coif.

Upon graduation from law school, Myers served as a law clerk to Judge David Sentelle on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He served in private practice at O'Melveny & Myers. He previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in both the Eastern District of North Carolina and Central District of California United States Attorneys' Offices. While a federal prosecutor, Myers prosecuted a wide variety of crimes including counterfeiting, narcotics, and firearms offenses. Myers was the Henry Brandis Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of Trial Advocacy at the University of North Carolina School of Law, where his teaching and scholarship focused on criminal law. He joined UNC as a faculty member in 2004, serving until 2019.

At UNC, Myers served as the advisor to UNC's Federalist Society chapter.

On August 14, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Myers to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. On September 9, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. He has been nominated to the seat vacated by Malcolm Jones Howard, who took senior status on December 31, 2005. On September 11, 2019, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On October 31, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 16–6 vote.On December 4, 2019, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a vote of 72–22. On December 5, 2019, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a vote of 68–21. He received his commission on December 10, 2019. He maintains chambers in Wilmington.

Myers was nominated to a seat which had been vacant since December 31, 2005, making it the longest federal judicial vacancy at the time of Myers' nomination.

Myers has been a member of the Federalist Society since 2004. He has been a member of the National Rifle Association since 2010. He has been a member of the Christian Legal Society since 2004, of which he serves as a faculty advisor.