Opinion | JoyceWhiteVance: President Biden's first 11 federal judge nominees highlight a highly nuanced diversity. - MSNBCDaily
for vacant federal judgeships. They are a diverse and exceptionally qualified group that includes trailblazers like the first Muslim federal judge, the first female Asian American judge for the district court in the District of Columbia and the first woman of color for the federal district court in Maryland — if they are all confirmed. All told, nine of the nominees are women. Many of them, while well-credentialed, are relatively young.
There is tremendous value in having a diverse bench. It reinforces the significance we place on inclusivity and fairness in our society and makes plain that diversity brings with it highly qualified and committed public servants. It also strengthens the decision-making process, with people from different professional backgrounds bringing different perspectives and insights into the judiciary with them.
Although I have never personally appeared before a federal judge who was a former public defender, I did have the fortune to appear, frequently, before a federal judge who was a former civil rights lawyer and the first African American judge on the federal bench in Alabama, U.W. Clemon. Clemon was the first person who ever discussed sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine with me — disparities too often based on race, not justice.