A New Milestone: Senate Democrats Have Confirmed 200 Of President Biden’s Diverse And Well-Qualified Judicial Nominees; Including First-Term Records Of More Than 125 Women, 125 Judges Of Color, And More Than 50 Black Judges Confirmed To Lifetime Positions On The Federal Bench
“Today, the Senate reaches a significant milestone: 200 judges confirmed to lifetime appointments under President Biden and this very proud Democratic Majority,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “200 judges who are restoring balance and excellence to our courts. 200 judges who are increasing the diversity and dynamism of our judiciary. 200 judges who are committed to applying the law fairly, impartially, equally. Senate Democrats are very proud of our record. We are proud of our judges. And we will keep going.”
|
Circuit Judges Confirmed At This Point In Their Term |
District Judges Confirmed At This Point In Their Term |
US Court of International Trade Judges Confirmed At This Point In Their Term |
Total Lifetime Judges + SCOTUS Confirmed At This Point In Their Term |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Biden |
42 |
155 |
2 |
200 |
|
Trump |
51 |
141 |
2 |
196 |
|
Obama |
29 |
117 |
0 |
148 |
|
Bush |
32 |
143 |
1 |
176 |
The well-qualified and diverse judicial nominees confirmed by this Senate are breaking barriers and making our courts more reflective of America. Of these 200 judicial nominees:
- 127/200 judicial nominees confirmed by this Senate are women
- 125/200 judicial nominees confirmed by this Senate are people of color
- 58/200 judicial nominees confirmed by this Senate are Black
- 37/200 judicial nominees confirmed by this Senate are Black women
- 36/200 judicial nominees confirmed by this Senate are Hispanic
[Source: Federal Judicial Center]
In comparison to other presidents’ entire terms:
- This Senate has confirmed more women of color to the bench than any other president’s full time in office.
- This Senate has confirmed more Black women to judgeships than any other president’s full time in office.
- This Senate has confirmed more women to judgeships than any Republican president’s full time in office.
This Senate has confirmed more people of color to Circuit Court judgeships than any other president’s full time in office.
- This Senate has confirmed more Hispanic, Asian and Native women to the federal bench than under any other president’s full time in office.
- This Senate has confirmed more public defenders to Circuit Court judgeships than under any president’s full time in office.
- The Senate has confirmed as many LGBTQ people to judgeships as under any president’s full time in office.
These historic judges confirmed to the federal judiciary include:
- More than 6 in 10 women and people of color
- The first Black woman confirmed to the Supreme Court
- The first Muslim American man and woman on the federal bench
- The first out lesbian to serve on any federal circuit court
- The first Navajo federal judge
- Half (4/8) of all Native judges ever confirmed
These judges are helping to expand the depth of experience on the federal bench. From Myrna Perez, formerly the director of the Brennan Center's Voting Rights and Elections Program, to the Innocence Project’s former senior litigation counsel, Nina Morrison, and Julie Rikelman, the attorney who defended the Mississippi clinic in the Dobbs case that ultimately overturned Roe, these judges are adding important, previously underrepresented perspectives to the federal bench.
