Alexander Wolcott Supreme Court nomination

On February 4, 1811, Alexander Wolcott was nominated by U.S. President James Madison to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Wolcott's nomination was met with broad criticism, due to his lack of qualifying legal experience, as well as his highly partisan background, and his enforcement of the Embargo Act of 1807 and Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 as a customs collector. The nomination faced an unprecedented review by a select committee, and was considered for an unprecedentedly-lengthy period of nine days before being voted on by the Senate. Despite Madison's Democratic–Republican Party holding a supermajority in the Senate, the nomination was overwhelmingly defeated in a 9–24 vote on confirmation.

Wolcott's nomination was the second of three unsuccessful attempts by Madison to fill the vacancy left by the death of Associate Justice William Cushing. Levi Lincoln Jr. had earlier declined to accept the judgeship, after having been confirmed unanimously by the Senate. After Wolcott's defeat, Madison nominated John Quincy Adams, whose nomination was unanimously confirmed. Like Lincoln, Adams also declined to accept the judgeship. Madison succeeded on his fourth attempt to fill the seat, appointing Joseph Story.