Biden Announces Judicial Nominees For US Court of Appeals

Paresh Jadhav

Nominees

Biden chose judges from diverse backgrounds and experiences when making his nominations, including Ketanji Brown Jackson for the influential United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit – often seen as an entryway into the Supreme Court.

White House officials said her nomination would further the President’s efforts to bring professional and demographic diversity to federal courts, while progressive judicial groups expressed support for his list of nominees.

Zahid Quraishi

President Trump made history when he nominated Zahid Quraishi to serve on the US Court of Appeals for New Jersey. Additionally, Ketanji Brown Jackson will be promoted to Supreme Court status and union lawyer Nicole Berner will join her for her 4th Circuit nominations.

White House officials are selecting judges with diverse professional backgrounds, such as Eumi Lee a Korean American superior court judge in California and Rich Federico an assistant federal public defender from Kansas for positions on the 10th Circuit.

Lydia Griggsby

White House nominees to US district courts include an attorney from a labor union and former public defender. These appointments further the White House’s efforts at diversifying federal benches through professional and demographic diversity.

Some judges mentioned sexual orientation as a factor when hiring law clerks, citing how some are looking for candidates with “rags-to-riches stories.” Another judge explained he employs gay and lesbian clerks so he may gain better insight into the community.

Adeel Mangi

Adeel Mangi of New Jersey could become the first Muslim American on a federal appeals court if his nomination is approved. He has long championed equal treatment of Muslims while providing legal fees as donations to charity.

He represented the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge in their religious freedom discrimination suit against Bernards Township for refusing to permit it to build a mosque, and served as civil rights attorney and union representative at Service Employees International Union. Finally, he is currently a partner at Patterson Belknap.

Cristal Brisco

Experience matters. Brisco’s national appointment as a superior court judge will have an enormously positive effect on her local community as well.

She attended Notre Dame Law School and became the first Black woman nominated to a US district court by President Barack Obama’s nomination. Additionally, she serves as an advocate in St. Joseph County Indiana while acting as an appointed public defender. Prior to making their nomination decision, the White House consulted with local senators regarding this nomination process.

Nominees

Gretchen Lund

Biden has chosen two Hoosier nominees as representatives to showcase his commitment to diversity. Judge Gretchen Lund is an experienced trial court judge and former corporate counsel who is highly rated by the American Bar Association.

As soon as she is confirmed, she would become the first Black woman ever appointed to this court and would become part of Fort Wayne, Hammond and South Bend’s federal district courts.

Amy Baggio

The Leadership Conference applauded Biden’s second round of nominations, which includes the first Muslim-American on any circuit court and an experienced union lawyer. Nicole Berner of Service Employees International Union’s General Counsel is being nominated to Richmond-based 4th Circuit court while New Jersey attorney Adeel Mangi from Philadelphia will fill 3rd Circuit judicial positions respectively.

The leadership group also supports Amy Baggio from Oregon and Cristal Brisco and Gretchen Lund from Indiana as nominees to district courts; their confirmation must be approved by the Senate.

Adeel DuBose

The president’s nominees to the US Court of Appeals demonstrate his dedication to expanding professional and demographic diversity on federal benches. The American Bar Association supports his selection of individuals whose backgrounds, experience, and professional competence make them well suited to serve as federal judges.

Biden faces the formidable task of filling both district and circuit courts, which presents him with limited room to maneuver given that his Republican predecessors abolished requiring home state senators to approve appeals court nominees.

Kim Yoon

Real world witnesses of court operations believe it is crucial for judges to reflect the country’s demographics, while possessing diverse professional experiences makes for better decision-making.

White House officials noted that their candidates reflect President Donald Trump’s strong conviction that federal judges must represent our nation’s diversity in both personal and professional ways. If Berner, Lin and O’Hearn were confirmed, they would become first Muslim-American federal judge, first Asian American woman on a US district court and first female district judge from New Jersey respectively.


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