Senate Judiciary Votes Herald Promise Of More Confirmations

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 8, 2022 – This morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance five more of President Biden’s judicial nominees to consideration by the full Senate. Additionally, several confirmations this week brings the total number of Biden judges confirmed to more than 90. With Sen. Warnock’s election victory in Georgia this week creating a 51–49 Democratic majority, the Senate is perfectly poised to confirm even more nominees that will bring essential professional and demographic diversity to the bench over the next two years. 

Bios for some of the nominees advanced out of committee today can be found below. 

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

“There is a lot to celebrate this week. The Senate is confirming judges, the Judiciary Committee is advancing judges, and Sen. Warnock’s victory guaranteed the next two years will give the Biden administration the opportunity to fill each and every one of the vacancies on our courts with more excellent judges. A 51–49 Senate will mean that we can continue to see more women of color, more public defenders, and more labor and civil rights attorneys nominated to the bench. We applaud Senators Schumer and Durbin on ensuring all of these nominations move and we look forward to many more to come.” 

Judge DeAndrea Benjamin, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, brings nearly two decades of experience serving as a judge. She began serving on the City of Columbia’s Municipal Court in 2004, and she has served on South Carolina’s Fifth Judicial Circuit since 2011. Prior to her time as a judge, she had experience prosecuting cases that involved violence against women and children and representing employees in racial discrimination cases against their employers. Judge Benjamin would be the second woman of color to serve on the Fourth Circuit.  

Judge Myong Joun, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, has serve as an Associate Justice of the Boston Municipal Court since 2014, where he has presided over approximately 140 trials. Not only does Judge Joun bring rare experience as a veteran to the bench, but he has also dedicated his career to criminal defense and civil rights.