The Biden-Harris administration has recently announced its seventh round of judicial nominees for the nation’s federal courts.
The list is diverse with lawyers who are Latinx, Asian American and African American, including two Black women. In a statement, the White House described these candidates for the federal bench as “extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.”
Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong was nominated to serve on the United States District Court for the Central District of California. If confirmed, she would become the only Black woman in California’s four federal district courts actively serving as district court judge.
Judge Holly A. Thomas was nominated to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judge Thomas would become the first Black woman from California and second Black woman ever to serve on the Ninth Circuit if confirmed.
Meanwhile, multiple Black women and men have been nominated for the slate of United States Attorneys under the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
An announcement on August 13 included Breon Peace and Damian Williams. Peace was nominated to become the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Williams was nominated to become the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. If confirmed, Williams will be the first African American to lead the Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney’s office.
On July 26, all of the nominees announced for U.S. Attorney roles were Black women and men:
- Rachael Rollins would be the first Black woman to serve as the United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts.
- Trini Ross would be the first Black woman to serve as the United States attorney for the Western District of New York.
- Erek Barron would be the first African American to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland.
- Nicholas Brown would be the first African American to serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington.
- Clifford Johnson would be the first African American to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana.
- Zachary Myers would be the first African American to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
The White House said the choices for the federal bench “continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.”
