WASHINGTON ― The Senate on Friday confirmed President Joe Biden’s 235th lifetime federal judge, a historic milestone that exceeds predecessor Donald Trump’s impressive first-term total by one.
“This marks the largest number of confirmations in a single term since the [Jimmy] Carter administration,” the White House said in a memo. “These highly qualified men and women — all committed to the rule of law and the Constitution — will serve the federal Judiciary for decades to come.”
Judges are arguably a president’s most lasting legacy, shaping the law long after they’ve left office. Biden has put more women, people of colour, out LGBTQ+ people and professionally diverse people into lifetime federal judgeships than any of his predecessors ― following through on one of his early campaign promises to reshape the judiciary to reflect the nation as a whole.
Fittingly, his 235th appointment, to the Central District of California, was Serena Murillo, a Los Angeles County judge whose father came to the U.S. from Mexico as a migrant farm labourer.
“President Biden has set records when it comes to the demographic diversity of his appointees,” the White House said in its memo. “In doing so, he has helped to ensure that the Judiciary looks like the communities it serves — vital to instilling confidence in both judicial decision-making and outcomes — while refusing to sacrifice on ability or qualifications.”
Biden’s judicial confirmations include one to the Supreme Court, 45 to the courts of appeals and 187 to district courts. Women and people of colour account for the vast majority of them.
Of course, Trump is set to be sworn in for his second presidential term Jan. 20, 2025. He will have four more years in office to add to his judicial streak ― and with a GOP-controlled Senate, that will entail at least two more years of judicial confirmations.
