Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Brian T. Palmer to begin hearing cases in October 2018. Judge Palmer earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1982 from the Brockport State University of New York, a Juris Doctor in 1986 from the Western New England College School of Law, and a Masters of Law in 1992 from The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. From 1987 to 2018, he served as an attorney, judge, and commanding officer in the U.S. Marine Corps in the following locations: Washington, D.C.; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Parris Island, South Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; Okinawa, Japan; Stuttgart, Germany; Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii; and Cherry Point, North Carolina. Additionally, he served in combat zone deployments to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. From 1986 to 1987, he was a private practice associate attorney in East Hartford, Connecticut. Judge Palmer is a member of the Connecticut Bar, Hawaii Bar, and the District of Columbia Bar.