Jan 19, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Biden pick could become first Muslim woman to serve as federal judge

Oriana González

Picture of Nusrat Jahan Choudhury — Nusrat Jahan Choudhury. Photo courtesy of ACLU of Illinois

President Biden on Wednesday nominated Nusrat Jahan Choudhury to serve as federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Why it matters: If confirmed by the Senate, Choudhury would become the first Muslim woman and the first Bangladeshi American to serve as a federal judge. She would be the second Muslim person to serve.

Background: Choudhury is the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. She has also worked with the ACLU in New York, according to a White House press release.

She graduated from the Yale Law School in 2006. She received her master's of public administration from Princeton University and her bachelor's degree from Columbia University.

The big picture: The latest round of nominees continues Biden's goal to diversify the American federal court system.

It also brings the president's total number of judicial nominees to 83, per USA Today.

Details: Choudhury is one of the eight judicial nominees Biden announced Wednesday. The other nominations include:

Arianna Freeman, who could become the first Black woman on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Ana Isabel de Alba, who could be the first Latina to serve on the Eastern District of California and the second Hispanic judge actively serving on that court.
Nina Nin-Yuen Wang, who could be the second Asian-American person to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.

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Biden pick could become first Muslim woman to serve as federal judge

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