Senate Confirms Workers’ Champion, Second AAPI Woman To Ninth Circuit

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 15, 2021 – Today the Senate voted to confirm judicial nominee Jennifer Sung, the second AAPI woman confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit this week following Judge Lucy Koh’s confirmation on Monday. 

Jennifer Sung is an incredibly accomplished attorney who has fought on behalf of low-wage factory and grocery store workers, taxi drivers, restaurant servers, nursing home and home health workers, hospital nurses, teachers, and labor unions. Ms. Sung brings her own experience as an adjudicator, having served on the Oregon Employment Relations Board, where she has been adjudicating disputes over unfair labor practices and employment litigation since 2017. Ms. Sung also makes history as the first member of the Asian American Pacific Islander community to be nominated and confirmed to the federal bench in Oregon. Over 50 organizations from across the states served by the Ninth Circuit supported her confirmation. 

Sung and Koh are the third and fourth AAPI women to ever serve on any U.S. Circuit Court. 

Alliance for Justice President Rakim H.D. Brooks issued the following statement: 

“Today’s confirmation of Jennifer Sung is a milestone for our courts, for workers, and for the AAPI community. At a time when the American people overwhelmingly believe that our courts are stacked in favor of the wealthy and the powerful, President Biden has elevated an incredibly qualified jurist with a progressive record on labor rights and equal justice to a powerful seat on the Ninth Circuit. A former union organizer and labor attorney, Jennifer Sung has always been a true champion for workers. It’s sadly very rare to find people with similar backgrounds and legal experience on the federal bench. 

“President Biden and Senate Democrats have made a precedent-setting commitment to our courts, confirming judges who are not only exceptionally qualified but who also bring important professional and demographic diversity to the bench. As the public’s faith in the Supreme Court continues to deteriorate, it is reassuring to see so many inspiring judges added to our lower courts. We look forward to this record-breaking pace continuing in the new year.”