Appointments/Elections

Pamela Ki Mai Chen to Join Bench As First Openly LGBT Asian-American Federal Judge; Others Await Action

On March 4th, the United States Senate confirmed President Barack Obama’s nomination of Pamela Ki Mai Chen to become an Associate Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. According to Queerty, she will be the first openly LGBT Asian American judge to serve on the federal bench, leaving her position as an assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York.

Others Renominated Along with Chen

The Washington Blade reported that Chen was among four openly LGBT nominees to the Federal Bench. The others were:

• Michael J. McShane, a Multnomah County Circuit judge whom Obama nominated for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
• Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro, a Philadelphia County Court judge whom Obama nominated for a seat on the the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
• William Thomas, a Florida circuit judge whom Obama nominated for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Judge Chen was the only one of these nominees who received a confirmation hearing and committee vote last year.

Hughes Nominated to Serve as Federal Appellate Judge

On February 7th, President Obama nominated Todd M. Hughes, deputy director of the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division at the United States Department of Justice, to become a member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. See Towleroad and the Huffington Post for additional coverage.