President Biden Names Nineteenth Round of Judicial Nominees

The President is announcing seven 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, if confirmed, this slate would include the first Latino to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the first woman of color to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the first South Asian person to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the first openly LGBT federal district court judge in Puerto Rico.

This is President Biden’s nineteenth round of nominees for federal judicial positions and his sixth slate of nominations in 2022, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 105.

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 Press Bios

1. Roopali H. Desai: Candidate for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Roopali H. Desai is a partner at Coppersmith Brockelman where she has practiced since 2007.  From 2006 to 2007, Ms. Desai was an associate at Lewis & Roca. She served as a law clerk for Chief Judge Mary Schroeder on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2005 to 2006. Ms. Desai received her J.D. in 2005, her M.P.H in 2001, and her B.A. in 2000, all from the University of Arizona.

2. Judge Dana M. Douglas: Candidate for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Dana M. Douglas has been a United States Magistrate Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana since 2019. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Douglas was a partner at Liskow & Lewis, where she worked from 2001 to 2018. Judge Douglas served on the New Orleans Civil Service Commission from 2003 to 2013. She served as a law clerk for Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 2000 to 2001. Judge Douglas received her J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law in 2000 and her B.A. from Miami University of Ohio in 1997.

3. Bradley N. Garcia: Candidate for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

Bradley N. Garcia is a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel, a role he has held since 2022. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Garcia was a partner in the Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Group at O’Melveny and Myers LLP, where he worked from 2013 to 2022. As an appellate litigator, Mr. Garcia represented clients in over 50 cases before federal and state appellate courts. He has argued 13 cases before federal and state appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First, Third, Fourth, Ninth, Eleventh and Federal Circuits.  He served as a law clerk for Justice Elena Kagan on the United States Supreme Court from 2012 to 2013 and for Judge Thomas Griffith on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2011 to 2012. Mr. Garcia received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 2011 and his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University in 2008.

District Court Press Bios

1. María del R. Antongiorgi-Jordán: Candidate for the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico

María del R. Antongiorgi-Jordán has served as the Clerk of Court for the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico since 2019. From 2018 to 2019, she was the Chief Deputy Clerk for the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Ms. Antongiorgi-Jordán was a partner at McConnell Valdés in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she worked from 1995 to 2018. Ms. Antongiorgi-Jordán received her LL.M from Georgetown University Law Center in 1994, her J.D. from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in 1992, and her B.A. from Seton Hill University in 1989.

2. Jerry W. Blackwell: Candidate for the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota

Jerry W. Blackwell is a founding partner of Blackwell Burke, where he has worked since 2006. From 2000 to 2006, Mr. Blackwell was a partner at Blackwell Igbanugo in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Previously, Mr. Blackwell was a partner at Nilan Johnson Lewis from 1996 to 2000 and a partner at Robins Kaplan from 1987 to 1996. Mr. Blackwell received his J.D. in 1987 and his B.S. in 1984, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

3. Judge Gina R. Méndez-Miró Candidate for the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico

Judge Gina R. Méndez-Miró has served as a judge on the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals since 2016. From 2013 to 2016, Judge Méndez-Miró served as the Chief of Staff for the President of the Senate of Puerto Rico. She previously served in the Puerto Rico Office of Court Administration as the General Counsel and Director of the Legal Affairs Office from 2010 to 2012 and as the Director of Judicial Programs from 2008 to 2010. From 2006 to 2008, Judge Méndez-Miró served as the Assistant Attorney General for Human Resources for the Puerto Rico Department of Justice. Judge Méndez-Miró was an associate at O’Neill & Borges in San Juan, Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2006. Judge Méndez-Miró received her J.D. from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law in 2001, her M.A. from Princeton University in 2000, and her B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Puerto Rico in 1996.

4. Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé Candidate for the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico

Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Puerto Rico since 2004. Previously, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico from 1998 to 2004. From 1994 to 1997, Judge Vélez-Rivé was an associate at Pietrantoni Méndez & Alvarez in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She served as a law clerk for Justice Francisco Rebollo-López on the Supreme Court for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 1994. Judge Vélez-Rivé received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Puerto Rico Law School in 1993 and her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis in 1989.

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