You’ve got to love what President Biden is doing with this
Continuing to keep his promises to the American people, President Biden has named nominees to the federal bench who reflect the diversity of the country. President Biden purposefully chose nominees from all walks of life who he believes are “deeply qualified and prepared to deliver justice faithfully under our Constitution and impartially to the American people.” This is just what we need after McConnell and Trump pushed unqualified candidates who think like them onto the bench, where they will remain for a lifetime. President Biden’s picks will help to balance things out.
Unlike the former “president,” who put mostly white male judges on the bench, President Biden wants the judiciary to reflect the people they serve. The President’s main concerns are competency and, of course, diversity. According to the Tampa Bay Times, President Biden has tapped Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who is currently a U.S. District judge, to succeed Merrick Garland. Jackson is one of three black females nominated by Biden. The other two are Tiffany Cunningham, an intellectual property attorney in Chicago who clerked at the D.C. District Court, and Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, who served as a public defender in Chicago for 10 years but is now in private practice. Experts say these are not “traditional” nominees.
President Biden has thoughtfully chosen his nominees, with the average age being 48, giving them the opportunity to shape the bench for years into the future. Tampa Bay Times reported that 9 of President Biden’s 11 nominees are female. The male nominees are Zahid N. Quraishi, a magistrate judge in New Jersey, who would be the first Muslim American to serve on a district court. Judge Quraishi is a former military prosecutor. Another interesting nominee from President Biden is Julien X. Neals, who was previously appointed by President Obama. While the Senate approved Neals, Mitch McConnell would not allow a full vote, just as he did with Judge Garland. It is nice to see President Biden nominating qualified judges who were previously nominated and not allowed to serve because of McConnell. It is also nice that McConnell is now the minority leader and can do nothing to stop these nominees from receiving full hearings this time around. Both Neals and Quraishi were recommended by Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker the New Jersey Globe reported. Neals, like Biden’s other choices, is not a typical nominee. He served as Chief Municipal Court Judge, was the city’s corporate counsel, and was the Newark Administrator. Both nominees and their backgrounds are well known by the senators who recommended them.
President Biden is trying to take advantage of his Democratic majority to get these qualified candidates through the Senate and onto the bench. True to his word, President Biden continues to seek out qualified people who also bring diversity to the bench in hopes of making the world fairer for those of us who have been left out for so long. So far, he is doing an amazing job. You have got to love a president who honors his word.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years