Walker says that he was raised by a "a single working mom" who "made indescribable sacrifices to provide me, the first in my family to graduate from college, with the opportunities she didn’t have herself."

[3] His step-grandfather, Norton Cohen, was president of the Acme Paper Stock Company and a prominent member of Louisville's Jewish community, while his maternal grandfather, Frank R. Metts, was a millionaire real estate broker who the New York Times characterized as a "power broker in Kentucky.

[3] After high school, Walker studied political science at Duke University, graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa membership.

He was a law clerk to then-judge Brett Kavanaugh of the District of Columbia Circuit from 2010 to 2011 and for justice Anthony Kennedy of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2011 to 2012.

[10] In July 2018, Walker had a paper published in The George Washington Law Review reflecting on President Trump's dismissal of FBI Director James Comey and arguing, "calls for an independent F.B.I.

Walker was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Joseph H. McKinley Jr., who assumed senior status on June 9, 2019.

"[13] The ABA stated that "Mr. Walker does not meet the minimum professional competence standard necessary to perform the responsibilities required by the high office of a federal district court judge.

[4] Vox described Walker's opinion as "oddly partisan", noting that there was no actual ban on drive-in church services,[20] and that Fischer had twice attempted to contact the court to communicate this fact, which would have rendered the case moot.

[21] The Volokh Conspiracy described the opinion's rhetoric as "over-the-top"; the decision irrelevantly listed deceased former Klan members affiliated with the Democratic Party.

President Trump nominated Walker to the seat being vacated by Judge Thomas B. Griffith, who retired on September 1, 2020.

The ABA sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee explaining their rating after deeming Walker "Not Qualified" when he was nominated for his district court judgeship.

The letter said "the Standing Committee believes that Judge Walker possesses a keen intellect, and his writing ability is exemplary.