President Biden Names Thirteenth Round of Judicial Nominees

The President is announcing eight new federal judicial nominees, all of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.

These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.

For example, this slate includes: 

• A nominee who would be the first Bangladeshi-American, the first Muslim-American woman, and only the second Muslim-American person to serve as a federal judge.
• A nominee who would be the first African-American woman—and the first woman of color—ever to serve on the Third Circuit.
• A nominee who would be the first Latina ever to serve on the Eastern District of California and the second Hispanic judge actively serving on that court.
• A nominee who immigrated from Taiwan as a child and would be the second Asian-American person to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Colorado—the first being President Biden’s nominee, Judge Regina Rodriguez, who was confirmed in June 2021.

This is President Biden’s thirteenth round of nominees for federal judicial positions and his first slate of nominations in 2022, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 83.

President Biden has spent decades committed to strengthening the federal bench, which is why he continues to move rapidly to fill judicial vacancies. And he has won confirmation of the most lower court judges for the first year of a presidency since the Kennedy Administration.

CIRCUIT COURT
Arianna J. Freeman: Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Arianna J. Freeman is a Managing Attorney with the Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, a position she has held since 2016. Ms. Freeman has worked at the Federal Community Defender Office since 2009, including as an Assistant Federal Defender in the Non-Capital Habeas Unit from 2014 to 2016, and as a Research and Writing Specialist from 2009 to 2014. Ms. Freeman clerked for Judge C. Darnell Jones II from 2008 to 2009, and Judge James T. Giles from 2007 to 2008, both on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Freeman received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2007, and her B.A., with honors, from Swarthmore College in 2001.

DISTRICT COURT
Tiffany M. Cartwright: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Tiffany M. Cartwright has been a partner at the civil rights law firm MacDonald Hoague & Bayless since 2018. Ms. Cartwright was an associate at the firm from 2014 to 2018. She was previously an associate at Jenner & Block LLP from 2012 to 2014. Ms. Cartwright served as a law clerk for Judge Betty B. Fletcher on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2011 to 2012 and Justice Dana Fabe on the Alaska Supreme Court from 2010 to 2011. Ms. Cartwright received her J.D. from Stanford Law School in 2010 and her B.A. from Stanford University, with distinction, in 2007.

Nusrat Jahan Choudhury: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Nusrat Jahan Choudhury has served as the Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois since 2020. From 2008 to 2020, Ms. Choudhury held numerous positions with the American Civil Liberties Union in New York, last serving as the Deputy Director of the Racial Justice Program from 2018 to 2020. Ms. Choudhury also served as a Senior Staff Attorney for the Racial Justice Program from 2016 to 2018, a Staff Attorney for the Racial Justice Program from 2013 to 2016, a Staff Attorney for the National Security Project from 2009 to 2013, and a Marvin M. Karpatkin Fellow with the Racial Justice Program from 2008 to 2009. Ms. Choudhury served as a law clerk for Judge Barrington D. Parker, Jr. on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2007 to 2008 and for Judge Denise L. Cote on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2006 to 2007. She received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2006, her M.P.A. from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs in 2006, and her B.A., summa cum laude, from Columbia University in 1998.

Judge Ana Isabel de Alba: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
Judge Ana Isabel de Alba has served as a California Superior Court Judge on the Superior Court of Fresno County since 2018. From 2013 to 2018, Judge de Alba was a partner at Lang Richet & Patch. Judge de Alba was previously an associate at the firm from 2007 to 2013. Her practice focused primarily focused on employment, business, tort, and construction litigation. Judge de Alba received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2007 and her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2002.

Robert Steven Huie: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
Robert Steven Huie has been an attorney at Jones Day since 2020. From 2008 to 2020, Mr. Huie served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Huie served as a legal advisor to the United States Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training. Mr. Huie worked as a civil litigator at Latham & Watkins from 2004 to 2008 and as an attorney at Wiggin and Dana from 2002 to 2003. Mr. Huie served as a law clerk for Judge José A. Cabranes on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2003 to 2004. Mr. Huie received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2002 and his B.A. from Calvin College in 1998.

Natasha C. Merle: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Natasha C. Merle has served as Deputy Director of Litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. since 2021. Ms. Merle previously served as Assistant Counsel and then Senior Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. from 2016 to 2021. From 2013 to 2015, Ms. Merle was a litigation associate and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Fellow at Fried, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, LLP Frank in New York. From 2011 to 2012, Ms. Merle was an Assistant Federal Public Defender at the Office of the Federal Public Defender, and from 2009 to 2011, Ms. Merle was a staff attorney at the Gulf Region Advocacy Center. Ms. Merle served as a law clerk for Judge John Gleeson on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 2012 to 2013. She also served as a law clerk for Judge Robert L. Carter on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2008 to 2009. Ms. Merle received her J.D., cum laude, from the New York University School of Law in 2008 and her B.A., with honors, from the University of Texas at Austin in 2005.

Jennifer H. Rearden: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Jennifer H. Rearden has been a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP since 2006. Ms. Rearden is a member of Gibson Dunn’s Litigation and Crisis Management Practice Groups and formerly a Co-Chair of the Firm’s Electronic Discovery and Information Law Practice Group. Ms. Rearden was an associate at the firm from 2003 to 2005. From 1998 to 2003, Ms. Rearden was an associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, and from 1996 to 1998, she was an associate at King & Spalding LLP. Ms. Rearden received her J.D. from the New York University School of Law in 1996 and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University in 1992.

Judge Nina Nin-Yuen Wang: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Colorado
Judge Nina Nin-Yuen Wang has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Colorado since 2015. Judge Wang was previously a partner at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP from 2008 to 2015. She was an associate at the firm from 2004 to 2008. From 2000 to 2004, Judge Wang served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. From 1997 to 1999, Judge Wang was an associate at Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP. Judge Wang served as a law clerk for Judge Peter J. Messitte on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland from 1999 to 2000. Judge Wang received her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1997 and her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis in 1994.

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