Diversity Comes to Judiciary: Bench Makeup Could Be Hallmark for Obama

[usregimechange]

Senate confirmation of the first openly gay judge last week could portend greater diversity on the federal bench, something President Barack Obama has made a priority.

The Senate voted last Monday, 80-13, to confirm J. Paul Oetken to serve as a federal district court judge in the Southern District of New York...

According to the White House, Obama has nominated three openly gay judges: Oetken, former White House associate counsel Alison Nathan to serve as a judge in the Southern District of New York and Edward DuMont, a partner at WilmerHale, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Obama has nominated half of the Asian-Americans on the federal bench, the White House said. They include the first Vietnamese-American to serve as federal judge, Jacqeuline Nyen, who serves in the Central District of California; the first Chinese-American woman to serve as federal judge, Dolly Gee, also of the Central District of California; and the first Korean-American woman to serve as federal judge, Lucy Koh, of the Northern District of California.

Obama has also nominated Arvo Mikkanen to be a judge in the Northern District of Oklahoma. If confirmed, Mikkanen would be the only Native American on the federal bench.

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_12/diversity-comes-to-judiciary-207601-1.html

[loyalsister]

1. That's a big deal

Making the judicial branch look more like the population of the US is another step away from the institutionalized "white men who own property" rule.

[usregimechange]

2. Its good to see and long overdue.

[Tx4obama]

3. A small correction - FOUR not three

Michael Walter Fitzgerald, Fourth Openly Gay Judicial Candidate, Nominated By Obama
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x716381

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Also...
p.s. Regarding President Obama's Federal Judiciary Appointments

SNIP

As the political scientists note, Obama has appointed a far more diverse group, by gender and race, than any other president. Half of the district and circuit judges confirmed during 2009 and 2010 are women, compared to 21% under Bush and 31% under Clinton. Also among Obama’s appointees his first two years, 27% are black, 10% are Asian-American and 7% are Hispanic. He has put forward three**** openly gay nominees. (**** article was written before the 4th nominee was announced)

SNIP

http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2011/07/obamas-nominations-team-described-as-insular-lacking-energy-.html