President Biden Celebrates Historic Appointment of Federal Judges
On January 2nd, 2025, President Joe Biden celebrated the historic appointment of a record number of federal judges during his first term, an achievement he lauded as crucial for safeguarding American democratic institutions. Flanked by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Biden emphasized the impartiality and independence of his appointees, stating, “These judges will be independent, they’ll be fair, and they’ll be impartial. I never thought I’d be saying this, they’ll uphold the Constitution.”
Biden’s administration surpassed the number of judicial nominees confirmed during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term. This accomplishment, however, concludes with the upcoming change in Senate control from Democrats to Republicans, effectively ending the confirmation process before Trump’s second term inauguration on January 20th. In total, Biden confirmed 235 nominees: 187 to district courts, 45 to federal appeals courts, and two to the Court of International Trade. This also included the historic appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
The Biden administration’s judicial appointments significantly diversified the federal bench. According to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, nearly 100 of the nominees had prior experience as civil rights lawyers or public defenders. Furthermore, the appointments established a new record for the number of women and judges from underrepresented minority groups—Black, Native American, Latino and Latina, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander—appointed to the federal judiciary.
President Biden highlighted this historic diversity, stating, “For the first time in a long, long time, we have a bench that looks like and represents all of America. We have a record number of judges with backgrounds and experiences that have long been overlooked in the federal judiciary, like advocates for civil rights, workers’ rights, immigrant rights and so much more.”
Senator Durbin underscored the bipartisan support for many of the nominees, noting that over 80% received bipartisan votes in the Senate. He credited Senate Majority Leader Schumer’s efforts in bringing the nominations to the Senate floor for votes, playfully describing their collaborative efforts. Senator Schumer, in turn, echoed the historic nature of the appointments, declaring them a “most consequential accomplishment” of the Biden administration and emphasizing the protective role these judges will play in safeguarding democratic institutions against future attacks. He specifically highlighted their anticipated influence in cases involving voting rights and election integrity at the district court level.
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By Ariana Figueroa, Minnesota Reformer, January 2, 2025