President Biden Announces 4th Slate of Judicial Nominations

As he continues to transfer at an historic pace with respect to judicial nominees, the President is announcing five new candidates for the federal bench and two new candidates for District of Columbia courts, all of whom are extraordinarily certified, professional, and devoted to the rule of legislation and our Structure.

These choices also carry on to fulfill the President’s assure to assure that the nation’s courts mirror the range that is just one of our biggest assets as a country — the two in conditions of own and qualified backgrounds.

For case in point, this slate consists of:

A nationally-regarded chief on voting legal rights who would be the only Latina serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
A previous general public defender and recent civil rights plaintiff’s lawyer who would be the second African American girl judge actively serving on the District Court for the District of Columbia
A federal prosecutor who would be the very first decide of South Asian descent to serve on the District Court docket for the District of Connecticut
A Office of Justice attorney with two a long time of civil rights knowledge, including as Deputy Main of the Appellate Part in the Civil Rights Division
A magistrate decide on the D.C. Superior Court docket with deep expertise in domestic violence and spouse and children regulation troubles

This is President Biden’s fourth round of names for federal judicial positions, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 24.

President Biden has spent many years dedicated to strengthening the federal bench, which is why he continues to go at an unparalleled speed with respect to judicial nominations. His first judicial nominations announcement was produced more quickly than that of any new President in present day American record, and today’s announcement continues that development.

CIRCUIT Court docket

MYRNA PÉREZ
Nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit

Myrna Pérez is the director of the Brennan Center’s Voting Rights and Elections Plan at the New York University (NYU) School of Regulation. Ms. Pérez joined the Brennan Middle in 2006. She has also been a lecturer-in-legislation at Columbia Law School considering that 2016. She formerly served as an Adjunct Professor of Scientific Law at NYU School of Regulation from 2013 to 2015. Prior to becoming a member of the Brennan Middle, Ms. Pérez was a Civil Rights Fellow at Relman, Dane & Colfax, a civil legal rights legislation organization in Washington, D.C., from 2005 to 2006. Ms. Pérez served as a law clerk for Judge Anita B. Brody on the U.S. District Court docket for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2004 and for Judge Julio M. Fuentes on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit from 2004 to 2005.

Ms. Pérez acquired her J.D. from Columbia Regulation School in 2003, her M.P.P. from Harvard Kennedy School in 1998, and her B.A. from Yale University in 1996. Prior to legislation school, she was a Presidential Management Fellow, serving as a plan analyst for the U.S. Governing administration Accountability Office environment on difficulties which include housing and overall health care.

DISTRICT COURTS

SARAH A. L. MERRIAM
Nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut

Decide Sarah A. L. Merriam has served as a U.S. Magistrate Choose for the District of Connecticut considering that 2015. Previously, she served as an Assistant Federal Community Defender for the District of Connecticut from 2007 to 2015. Choose Merriam labored on political campaigns in Connecticut from 2006 to 2007. She was an affiliate at the Connecticut-primarily based law organization Cowdery, Ecker & Murphy from 2003 to 2006. Judge Merriam served as a law clerk for Decide Thomas Meskill on the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2002 to 2003 and for Choose Alvin Thompson on the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut from 2000 to 2002.

Choose Merriam been given an LLM from Duke Regulation College in 2018, her J.D. from Yale Legislation Faculty in 2000, and her B.A. from Georgetown in 1993.

SARALA VIDYA NAGALA
Nominated to the United States District Court docket for the District of Connecticut

Sarala Vidya Nagala is the Deputy Main of the Major Crimes Device in the U.S. Attorney’s Place of work in the District of Connecticut, a purpose she has held since 2017. Ms. Nagala joined the U.S. Attorney’s Business in 2012, and has served in a selection of leadership roles in the office environment, including as Loathe Crimes Coordinator. Previously, Ms. Nagala was an affiliate at Munger, Tolles, & Olson in San Francisco, California from 2009 to 2012. She began her authorized job as a legislation clerk for Choose Susan Graber on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2008 to 2009.

Ms. Nagala acquired her J.D. from the College of California at Berkeley College of Legislation in 2008 and her B.A. from Stanford University in 2005.

OMAR A. WILLIAMS
Nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut

Choose Omar A. Williams has served as a Exceptional Courtroom Choose in Hartford, Connecticut due to the fact 2016. In that function, Decide Williams has served on the New England Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative, the Sentence Overview Division, and the Wiretap Panel. He was beforehand a Top-quality Court Decide in New London from 2014 to 2016. Prior to his appointment as a condition court choose, Choose Williams was an Assistant General public Defender for the State of Connecticut Division of General public Defender Solutions from 2003 to 2014.

Decide Williams received his J.D. from the University of Connecticut Law University in 2002 and his B.A. from the College of Connecticut in 1998.

JIA M. COBB
Nominated to the United States District Court docket for the District of Columbia

Jia M. Cobb is a spouse at Relman Colfax, the place she has practiced given that 2012. Her plaintiff-facet litigation exercise focuses on honest housing, disability discrimination, work discrimination, and scenarios at the intersection of civil rights and prison justice. Ms. Cobb taught demo advocacy as an adjunct professor at American University Washington College of Regulation in 2011 and was a faculty member at Harvard Regulation School’s Demo Advocacy Workshop in 2010 and 2011. Prior to her time in private practice, Ms. Cobb served as a demo legal professional at the Public Defender Support for the District of Columbia from 2006 to 2012. She began her lawful job as a regulation clerk for Choose Diane Wooden on the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 2005 to 2006.

Ms. Cobb gained a J.D. from Harvard Regulation Faculty, cum laude, in 2005 and a B.A. from Northwestern College, magna cum laude, in 2002.

Neighborhood D.C. COURTS

TOVAH R. CALDERON
Nominated to the District of Columbia Courtroom of Appeals

Tovah R. Calderon now serves as an Acting Deputy Assistant Legal professional Basic in the U.S. Division of Justice’s Civil Legal rights Division. Ms. Calderon first joined the Division of Justice in 2001 through the Legal professional General’s Honors Application and has held a lot of roles inside of the section. Prior to her present-day element with the Civil Rights Division, Ms. Calderon served as a Deputy Chief in the Division’s Appellate Section. Ms. Calderon has also served on detail to the White Household Domestic Plan Council, the Civil Rights Division’s Policy and System Part, and the Senate Judiciary Committee. From 2000 to 2001, she served as a regulation clerk for Choose Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr. on the U.S. Court docket of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, as well as other judges on equally the Fourth Circuit and the U.S. District Courtroom for the District of Maryland.

Ms. Calderon obtained her J.D. from the Howard College School of Law in 2000 and her B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1995.

KENIA SEOANE LOPEZ
Nominated to the Top-quality Courtroom of the District of Columbia

Choose Kenia Seoane Lopez is currently a Justice of the peace Choose on the Outstanding Courtroom of the District of Columbia. Prior to her appointment in 2012, Decide Seoane Lopez served as a Bilingual Legal professional Negotiator in the Domestic Violence Division of the District of Columbia Remarkable Court docket from 2009 to 2012. She beforehand served as an Assistant Attorney Typical in the Lawful Services Section of the Youngster Help Division in the Business of the Legal professional Standard for the District of Columbia from 2005 to 2009. Judge Seoane Lopez served as a regulation clerk to the Justices on the Massachusetts Superior Court docket from 2002 to 2003 and Senior Judges on the Remarkable Courtroom of the District of Columbia from 2004 to 2005.

Choose Seoane Lopez obtained her J.D. and M.A. in Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Research from the College of Wisconsin in 2002 and her B.S. from Northeastern College, cum laude, in 1997.

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