CAPAC Praises Nomination of Manish Shah to U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Washington, DC – Yesterday, President Obama nominated Manish Suresh Shah to serve on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. If confirmed, Shah would be the first person of South Asian descent to serve as an Article III judge in the state of Illinois.

“On behalf of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), I would like to congratulate Manish Shah for his nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois,” said CAPAC Chair Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27). “With over a decade of experience working with the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Shah is well-qualified and possesses the temperament necessary to make him an excellent judge. I commend the President for his continued commitment to promoting diversity on the federal bench, and urge my Senate colleagues to swiftly confirm Mr. Shah’s nomination.

Since 2001, Shah has worked at the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Chief of the Criminal Division, and has held prior positions as the Deputy Chief of the General Crimes Section, the Deputy Chief of the Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions Section, and Chief of the Appellate Section. Shah attended the University of Chicago Law School and Stanford University, and went on to clerk for Judge James B. Zagel of the Northern District of Illinois.