{ "id": "ep4w0na2t5", "slug": "maria-a-lanahan", "title": "Maria A. Lanahan", "updated": "2026-10-21", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-l-to-ma", "label": "Surnames L to Ma", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-l-to-ma" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-l-to-ma", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames L to Ma", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-l-to-ma", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-l-to-ma", "label": "Surnames L to Ma", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-l-to-ma" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Maria Ann Lanahan, born 1987, is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge in the Eastern District of Missouri since 2025, after serving as Missouri's deputy solicitor general.", "snippet": "Maria Ann Lanahan, born 1987, is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge in the Eastern District of Missouri since 2025, after serving as Missouri's deputy solicitor general.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-l-to-ma", "markdown": "# Maria A. Lanahan\n\nMaria Ann Lanahan (born 1987) is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri since 2025.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) She was nominated to the court by President Donald J. Trump in 2025 and confirmed that September.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) Before her appointment, she served in the Office of the Missouri Attorney General, most recently as deputy solicitor general.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) |\n| Appointed by | Donald J. Trump[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) |\n| Confirmed | September 9, 2025, by a vote of 52 to 45[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1190505) |\n| Born | 1987, Portland, Oregon[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) |\n| Education | B.A., Gonzaga University, 2009; J.D., University of Chicago Law School, 2013[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nLanahan was born in 1987 in [Portland, Oregon](https://www.edgepedia.org/portland-oregon).[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) She received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) from [Gonzaga University](https://www.edgepedia.org/gonzaga-university) in 2009 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School in 2013.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048)\n\n## Legal career\n\nAfter law school, Lanahan clerked for Judge Brian K. Zahra of the Michigan Supreme Court from 2013 to 2014.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) She then practiced law in St. Louis, Missouri, from 2014 to 2018, including at the firm Thompson Coburn LLP, and worked as a senior manager of litigation at [Charter Communications](https://www.edgepedia.org/charter-communications) in St. Louis from 2018 to 2020.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) • [3](https://ago.mo.gov/president-trump-names-two-members-of-missouri-attorney-general-offices-team-to-serve-as-federal-judgeships/) From 2020 to 2021, she clerked for Judge Raymond W. Gruender of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048)\n\nIn 2021, Lanahan joined the Office of the Attorney General of Missouri, where she served as deputy solicitor general.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) The office stated that during her tenure she worked on cases involving [statutory interpretation](https://www.edgepedia.org/statutory-interpretation), tax litigation, writs, and constitutional issues, and that she received the Dixon Award for Appellate Advocacy.[3](https://ago.mo.gov/president-trump-names-two-members-of-missouri-attorney-general-offices-team-to-serve-as-federal-judgeships/)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident Donald J. Trump nominated Lanahan to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on May 12, 2025.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) She was one of two attorneys from the Missouri Attorney General's Office nominated to that court in 2025, along with Solicitor General Joshua Divine.[3](https://ago.mo.gov/president-trump-names-two-members-of-missouri-attorney-general-offices-team-to-serve-as-federal-judgeships/) The Senate confirmed her nomination on September 9, 2025, by a vote of 52 to 45.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048) • [2](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1190505) She received her commission on September 24, 2025.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048)\n\nWhile her nomination was pending, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted the State of Missouri's motion to withdraw Lanahan as counsel in a case pending before that court, citing her likely confirmation to the federal bench.[4](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.372476/gov.uscourts.txnd.372476.186.0.pdf)\n\n## Notable cases\n\nAs a district judge, Lanahan has presided over a general civil docket. Among her reported rulings, in a criminal matter she granted a motion to continue, rescheduling trial to August 17, 2026, and excluding the intervening period under the Speedy Trial Act after the parties consented to a new trial date and the defendant executed a speedy-trial waiver.[5](https://ezel.ai/judges/moed/maria-a-lanahan) Her docket has included a § 1983 prisoner medical deliberate-indifference suit, a removed municipal civil-rights case, a wrongful-death personal-injury suit against Lyft, and a franchise trade-secret and contract dispute, as well as wage-and-hour, consumer-protection, products-liability, and ERISA matters.[5](https://ezel.ai/judges/moed/maria-a-lanahan)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: Maria Ann Lanahan](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13762048)\n2. [Senate Roll Call Vote, September 9, 2025](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1190505)\n3. [President Trump Names Two Members of Missouri Attorney General Offices Team to Serve as Federal Judgeships](https://ago.mo.gov/president-trump-names-two-members-of-missouri-attorney-general-offices-team-to-serve-as-federal-judgeships/)\n4. [Order Granting Motion to Withdraw as Counsel, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.372476/gov.uscourts.txnd.372476.186.0.pdf)\n5. [Maria Ann Lanahan — Rulings, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri](https://ezel.ai/judges/moed/maria-a-lanahan)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames L to Ma*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 29, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/maria-a-lanahan", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/maria-a-lanahan.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Maria A. Lanahan\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/maria-a-lanahan. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Maria A. Lanahan](https://www.edgepedia.org/maria-a-lanahan)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/maria-a-lanahan](https://www.edgepedia.org/maria-a-lanahan). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Maria A. Lanahan\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/maria-a-lanahan. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Maria Ann Lanahan, born 1987, is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge in the Eastern District of Missouri since 2025, after serving as Missouri's deputy solicitor general." }