President Obama has nominated the first Muslim to the federal bench.
On Tuesday, the White House announced the nomination of Abid Riaz Qureshi to serve as the U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia.
“I am pleased to nominate Mr. Qureshi to serve on the United States District Court bench,” Obama said in a statement. “I am confident he will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”
The nomination is likely only symbolic, with the Republican-controlled Senate unlikely to confirm any more of Obama’s judicial nominees with his term coming to an end.
As you would expect, Muslim groups celebrated the nomination. The group Muslim Advocates pointed out that Qureshi is “the first American Muslim to be nominated to serve on the federal judiciary.”
“A judiciary that reflects the rich diversity of our nation helps ensure the fair and just administration of the law, and it is vital for American Muslims to be included,” the group said.
Qureshi, a graduate of Cornell University and Harvard Law School, is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Latham & Watkins LLP.