Lee Philip Rudofsky (born 1979) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, serving since 2019. In September 2026, Rudofsky was nominated by President Donald Trump to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Early life Rudofsky was born in New York City in 1979 to Edward S. and Susan Rudofsky. He was raised in the city, where his father practiced as a commercial litigation attorney.
He spent his early childhood years in Brooklyn, where his family resided in the Gerritsen Beach neighborhood. He attended public primary schools and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.
Education and early career
Rudofsky received a Bachelor of Science in 2001 and a Master of Public Administration in 2002 from Cornell University. He then earned a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2005.
After law school, Rudofsky served as a law clerk to Justice Robert J. Cordy of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He then clerked for Judge Andrew Kleinfeld of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
He subsequently became an associate at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis. He next served as deputy general counsel to the Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign.
In 2015, Rudofsky became Solicitor General of Arkansas. He left that post in 2018 to become senior director for global anti-corruption compliance at Walmart. He has been a member of the Federalist Society since 2002.United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Lee Rudofsky
Federal judicial service
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas On July 1, 2019, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Rudofsky to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Rudofsky was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge James Leon Holmes, who assumed senior status on March 31, 2018. On July 8, 2019, his nomination was sent to the United States Senate."Four Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, July 8, 2019 Senator Tom Cotton recommended his nomination. On July 31, 2019, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for July 31, 2019 On October 17, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.Results of Executive Business Meeting – October 17, 2019, Senate Judiciary Committee On November 6, 2019, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 51–41 vote. On November 7, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a 51–41 vote. He received his judicial commission on November 8, 2019.
In 2022, Rudofsky held that private American citizens could not bring suit under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, instead concluding that provision could only be enforced by lawsuits filed directly by the Attorney General of the United States.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit In September 2026, Rudofsky was nominated by President Donald Trump to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Personal life Rudofsky is Jewish.
See also List of Jewish American jurists
References
External links