Blog Post

Women of Color Breaking Barriers in the Circuit Courts

It’s time to celebrate the brilliant women of color who are shining as historic firsts on the U.S. Court of Appeals. Since 2016, Women have surpassed men in law school enrollments. The incoming 2023 law school class was the most diverse in history for the third year in a row. Yet, historically many exceptional Asian American, Pacific Islander, Black, Latina, and Native American women have been shut out from serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals. I’m tired of women of color daring to strive for well-deserved leadership positions just to hit a glass ceiling and be blocked. To my excitement, President Joe Biden’s appointments have slowly begun to change the game on the historic exclusion of women of color from the U.S. Court of Appeals. 

Taking a step back, there has been a lack of women, and particularly women of color on the U.S. Court of Appeals since 1789. It was nearly 200 years later when Judge Amalya Kearse, a Black woman, became the first woman of color on the U.S. Court of Appeals. By January 1999, women of color were still only three out of 105 sitting U.S. Court of Appeals judges. Even when women of color made up 20.3% of the U.S. population in 2021, they were just 4.2% of sitting U.S. Court of Appeals judges as of January 2021.   

With appointments unlike any U.S. president before him, half of President Joe Biden’s U.S. Court of Appeals appointments have been women of color, including Asian American, Black, and Latina women. Notably, many of these women of color appointed were public defenders and civil rights attorneys, bringing important professional diversity to the federal appellate bench. President Biden’s overrepresentation in his appointments led to women of color becoming 10.5% of sitting U.S. Court of Appeals judges. Here are some of the historic firsts transforming the once-archaic makeup of the U.S. Court of Appeals: 

 Asian American Pacific Islander Women 

• Judge Cindy Chung is a dedicated public servant with two decades of legal experience working in government. She is the first Asian American woman and Asian American judge to serve on the Third Circuit and was confirmed on February 13, 2023. 

• Judge Roopali Desai is an exceptional elections law attorney who protected Democracy by successfully fighting off election misinformation in Arizona. She is the first South Asian woman and South Asian judge on the Ninth Circuit and was confirmed on August 4, 2022. 

Black Women  

• Judge Arianna Freeman is a public defender who spent 13 years building an incredible career at the Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She is the first Black woman to serve on the Third Circuit and was confirmed on September 29, 2022. 

• Judge Dana Douglas is a powerhouse private practice attorney who worked on energy, product liability, and intellectual property litigation. She is the first Black woman to serve on the Fifth Circuit and was confirmed on December 13, 2022. 

• Judge Nancy Abudu is a civil rights champion who fought for voting rights in the South. She is the first Black woman on the Eleventh Circuit and was confirmed on May 18, 2023. 

• Judge Tiffany Cunningham is a distinguished patent law attorney and a former Partner at one of the country’s leading law firms. She is the first Black woman and Black judge to serve on the Federal Circuit and was confirmed on July 19, 2021. 

Latina Women 

• Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez is considered a pillar in the Dallas legal community, celebrated for her even-handed judgment and professionalism. Judge Ramirez is former magistrate judge with nearly 30 years of experience under her belt. She is the first Latina to serve on the Fifth Circuit and was confirmed on December 4, 2023. 

• Judge Nancy Maldonado has been a steadfast advocate for workers’ rights and for women experiencing discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Judge Maldonado was confirmed on July 8, 2024, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She is the first Latina and Hispanic just to ever serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.  

Native American Women 

• I’m disappointed to say that no Native American woman has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals and clearly there is more work to do. 

I want to see judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals who understand the real-world impact that their decisions have on the lives of women and girls and are committed to equal justice for all. We need President Biden and the Senate to continue nominating and confirming more brilliant women of color committed to equal justice to the U.S. Court of Appeals. U.S. Courts of Appeals. The closer the judiciary gets to reflecting the important diversity of our country, the stronger public trust is in the courts.