CAPAC Members Commend Nomination of Raymond Chen to U.S. Court of Appeals
Washington DC—Today, President Obama nominated Raymond T. Chen to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. CAPAC Members released the following statements lauding this nomination:
Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair: “I commend President Obama for his continuing dedication to the robustness of our federal judiciary through the nomination of highly-qualified and diverse individuals like Raymond Chen. If confirmed, Raymond would become the first Asian American to serve on the Federal Circuit in over 25 years. With a stellar background in the sciences, law, public service and community engagement, Raymond exemplifies the knowledge and talent that the Asian American and Pacific Islander community can bring to our nation’s courts. I now urge the Senate to swiftly confirm his nomination.”
Congressman Mike Honda (CA-17), CAPAC Chair Emeritus: “I applaud President Obama’s nomination of Raymond Chen to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Ray is a proven exemplary public servant – having served the past 15 years in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office – first as an Associate Solicitor and most recently as the Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the Solicitor. Beyond his professional career, Ray is also a dedicated servant to his community, where he has served the disadvantaged, low-income families, and mentored Asian American and Pacific Islander attorneys and law students. His nomination exemplifies the Obama Administration’s promise of a highly qualified and diversified bench. As Chair Emeritus, I thank President Obama for his leadership with this nomination, as well as his steadfast commitment to diversity that truly reflects America. I now urge the Senate to act swiftly in confirming this nomination to ensure a more diverse representation in all branches of government.”
Raymond Chen currently serves as the deputy general counsel for intellectual property law and solicitor at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He began his career at the USPTO as an Associate Solicitor in 1998. Mr. Chen has received numerous awards for his service, including: the Gold Medal Award, U.S. Department of Commerce (2011); the Bronze Medal Award, U.S. Department of Commerce (2005); and Attorney of the Year, Office of the Solicitor (2002). He previously worked as a technical assistant at the Federal Circuit from 1996 to 1998, and as a scientist at Hecker & Harriman in Los Angeles. Chen is a graduate of New York University School of Law and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) remain significantly underrepresented in the federal judiciary. If the number of AAPI judges reflected the general population, there would be a dozen AAPI federal appellate court judges out of the over 180 that are active. Only two current federal appellate court judges identify as AAPI.
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The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and Members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Currently chaired by Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life since it was founded in 1994.