Circuit and district court judges don’t get as much time in the spotlight as Supreme Court justices, so I’d love to tell you a little about those nine new judges now. Celebrate these wins with us!

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Jun. 14. Before her confirmation, she served on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She is also a former public defender with a proven record of advocating for equal justice for all. In ten years, Judge Jackson and Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi were the first Black women to be confirmed to a circuit court. Read more here.

Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on Jun. 24. She has a background in civil rights and spent most of her career as a long-term federal public defender in Chicago. Prior to Judge Jackson-Akiwumi’s confirmation, the Seventh Circuit—which serves more than 7.5 million people of color, including 2.8 million Black residents—was an all-white court. Read more here.

Judge Eunice Lee was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Aug. 7. Before her confirmation, she served as an assistant federal defender in the Appeals Bureau at the Federal Defenders of New York. She co-designed the Criminal Appellate Defender Clinic at the NYU School of Law. Judge Lee is the second Black woman to ever serve on the Second Circuit, a district that serves 3.9 million Black residents. Read more here.

Judge Veronica Rossman was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on Sept. 20. Prior to her confirmation, she served as senior counsel and supervisory assistant public federal defender at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Districts of Colorado and Wyoming. Judge Rossman is the only public defender on this court. Her lived experience as an immigrant and refugee fleeing anti-Semitic persecution in Moscow will also be key for the 1.5 million immigrants who live in the Tenth Circuit. Read more here.

Judge Lauren King was confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on Oct. 5. Prior to her confirmation, she chaired the Native American Law Practice Group at Foster Garvey PC and served as a pro tem appellate judge with the Northwest Intertribal Court System. Judge King is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and is the first Native federal judge ever to serve in the state of Washington, and one of five Native federal judges ever to be confirmed. Read more here.

Judge Tana Lin was confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on Oct. 21. Prior to her confirmation, she practiced law at Keller Rohrback, helping to advance the rights and protections of consumers and employees through class action litigation. Judge Lin and her family immigrated to the U.S. from Taiwan when she was three and is the first Asian judge on the Western District Court, which serves over 1.1 million immigrants and nearly 1 million AAPI people. Read more here.

Judge Myrna Perez was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Oct. 25. Before her confirmation, she dedicated her career to advancing the right to vote and served as the Executive Director of the Brennan’s Center Voting Rights and Elections Program. Judge Perez is the daughter of Mexican immigrants and is the second Latina ever to serve on the Second Circuit, and the first since Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Read more here.

Judge Beth Robinson was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Nov. 1. Prior to her confirmation, she served as an Associate Justice on the Vermont Supreme Court for ten years. She has dedicated her career to equal justice, particularly for LGBTQ+ people and working people. Judge Robinson is the first openly lesbian judge to serve on any federal circuit court. Read more here.

Judge Lucy Koh was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Dec. 13. Before her confirmation, she served on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where she protected the U.S. Census from the Trump administration’s repeated attacks, particularly regarding undocumented immigrants. Judge Koh is the first Korean American woman ever to be confirmed to a federal circuit court. Read more here.

In addition to federal court nominees, the activism team also worked to confirm two incredible leaders at the Dept. of Justice who are truly dedicated to civil rights and equal justice for all.

Vanita Gupta was confirmed as Associate Attorney General on Apr. 21. She is the first woman of color in U.S. history to serve as Associate Attorney General and the first civil rights lawyer to serve in any of the top three Dept. of Justice positions. Gupta’s compassion, empathy, and work to build common ground are essential to help return the DOJ to its true directive of equal justice for all.

Kristen Clarke was confirmed as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights on May 24. The daughter of Jamaican immigrants, she is the first woman in history confirmed by the Senate to lead the Civil Rights Division and the first Black woman to hold the post in any capacity. Her record as a civil rights champion is unassailable. Gupta and Clarke make a powerful team to reignite the fight for civil rights at the DOJ.

With multiple nominee campaigns currently in the works and more launching every month, the Daily Kos activism team is ready to keep going full steam ahead.

We think having these leaders fighting for all of us is a pretty damn good start, don’t you? Chip in to help us the Daily Kos activism team continue our work to advocate for progressive judges.