CAPAC Chair Applauds President Biden’s Nominations of Two AAPI Judges

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, President Biden announced eight new judicial nominees, including two Asian Americans, Jennifer Sung and Chief Judge Shalina Kumar. Ms. Sung has been nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where, if appointed, she will be the first AAPI judge from Oregon on the Ninth Circuit. Chief Judge Shalina D. Kumar has been nominated to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, where, if appointed, she will be the first federal judge of South Asian descent in Michigan. Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) issued the following statement:

“Congratulations to Jennifer Sung and Chief Judge Shalina Kumar for their historic and well deserved nominations. I am delighted by these two exceptional candidates and the years of experience and unique perspective they will bring to our judicial system. Jennifer Sung, a labor lawyer and former union organizer, will be an essential voice for workers thanks to her years of experience with the Oregon Employment Relations Board and as a private litigator.

“Chief Judge Kumar will be the first federal judge of South Asian descent in Michigan and brings years of knowledge to this high level and important role. I’m so proud of these incredibly qualified candidates and I urge the Senate to consider them as soon as possible. Ensuring diversity on our courts is part of ensuring justice, so I thank the President for his continued commitment to diversifying the federal bench and ensuring our justice system looks more like America.”