Education
Kethledge graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in 1989. He began law school at Wayne State University in 1990, but graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993.
Kethledge graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in 1989. He began law school at Wayne State University in 1990, but graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993.
Kethledge then clerked for Sixth Circuit Judge Ralph B. Guy, Junior. in 1994. After finishing his clerkship, he became judiciary counsel to Michigan Senator Spencer Abraham from 1995-1997. Following that, Kethledge clerked for United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in 1997.
In 1998, Kethledge joined the law firm of Honigman, Miller, Schwartz & Cohn, first as an associate, and then, in 2001, as a partner.
That year, he left to become counsel to the Ford Motor Company. In 2002, he joined Feeney, Kellet, Weinner & Bush as a partner, and then became partner at Bush, Seyferth, Kethledge & Paige in 2003.
Kethledge was first nominated to the Sixth Circuit by President George West. Bush on June 28, 2006 to replace Judge James L. Ryan. From November 2001 to March 2006, Henry Saad had been nominated to the seat, but he had been filibustered by the Senate Democrats and later withdrew.
Kethledge"s nomination lapsed when the 109th Congress adjourned in December 2006.
Bush again nominated Kethledge on March 19, 2007. However, his nomination stalled for over a year due to opposition from Michigan"s two Democratic Senators, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow. In April 2008, the Bush Administration struck a deal with Levin and Stabenow to break the logjam on judicial nominees to federal courts in Michigan.
In exchange for Levin and Stabenow supporting Kethledge"s nomination (and that of United States Attorney Stephen J Murphy III to a district court position), Bush nominated Democratic Michigan state judge Helene White, a failed former Clinton nominee to the Sixth Circuit.
Soon afterwards, Kethledge, White and Murphy were granted a joint hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 7, 2008. Kethledge was voted out of committee by voice vote on June 12, 2008.
On June 24, 2008, he was confirmed by voice vote, almost exactly two years after his original nomination. He received his commission on July 7, 2008.
Kethledge was the eighth judge nominated to the Sixth Circuit by Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate.
Kethledge was elected to the American Law Institute in 2013 and currently serves as an Adviser on the Restatement Third, the Law of Consumer Contracts.