March 30, 2021: President Joe Biden (D) announced his first 11 judicial nominees on Tuesday for federal circuit and district court seats and the Superior Court for the District of Columbia
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- There are no committee hearings scheduled Monday. The Senate stands adjourned until April 12 for a full session.
News
- Biden announced his first 11 judicial nominees on Monday. The White House said in a statement, “This group also includes groundbreaking nominees, including three African American women chosen for Circuit Court vacancies, as well as candidates who, if confirmed, would be the first Muslim American federal judge in U.S. history, the first AAPI woman to ever serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of D.C., and the first woman of color to ever serve as a federal judge for the District of Maryland.”
- The 11 judicial nominees are listed below:
- Ketanji Brown Jackson for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to fill the seat left vacant by Merrick Garland
- Tiffany Cunningham for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- Candace Jackson-Akiwumi for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- Deborah Boardman for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- Lydia Griggsby for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- Julien Neals for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- Florence Pan for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- Zahid Quraishi for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
- Regina Rodriguez for the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- Margaret Strickland for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
- Rupa Ranga Puttagunta for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
- Biden called on governors and mayors to reinstate mask mandates. He also said 90% of American adults would be eligible for a coronavirus vaccine by April 19. For more information about state level mask requirements, click here.
- Biden issued two notices marking the continuation of national emergencies with respect to South Sudan and malicious cyber activity.
Transition in Context: Judicial Nominations During First Year in Office
The president of the United States nominates judges to the Supreme Court, courts of appeals, and district courts. While there are no specific requirements for nominees, the Senate must confirm them to serve.
President Ronald Reagan (R) made the most appointments through his first year in office with 41. President Barack Obama (D) made the fewest with 13.
The following chart shows the number of appointments each president, between 1981 and 2021, made in his first year in office and cumulatively through his fourth year.
