Thursday, September 8, 2016

Obama selects Muslim Judge

Obama Taps Latham Partner As 1st-Ever Muslim Fed. Judge, by Suevon Lee, Law360, Los Angeles, 9/6/16 Abid Riaz Qureshi.

A Washington, D.C.-based Latham & Watkins LLP partner was nominated Tuesday by President Barack Obama to serve on the federal bench for the District of Columbia in what marks the first time a Muslim American has been nominated to the federal judiciary, according to an advocacy group.

Abid Riaz Qureshi, a partner in Latham’s litigation and trial department in D.C. and the global chair of the firm’s pro bono committee, was tapped by Obama to fill the seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that was vacated by Judge Rosemary Collyer earlier this year when she assumed senior status.

Qureshi’s nomination comes at a time when the Republican-led Senate, which returned this week from a nearly two-month-long recess, has yet to confirm 42 pending district court nominees, seven pending federal appellate nominees and D.C. Circuit Chief Judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court as the Nov. 8 presidential election looms ahead.

Nevertheless, Tuesday’s announcement was greeted with praise from groups ranging from the civil rights legal advocacy group Muslim Advocates, which singled out Qureshi’s nomination as the first instance of a person with Muslim background to be nominated to the federal bench, to Latham’s own management.

“I commend President Obama for taking this important step in continuing to pick the best and brightest from every community to serve as part of our nation’s judiciary,”

Farhana Khera, the executive director of Muslim Advocates, said in a statement. “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.”

While Muslim-American judges have served at the state level, there has never been a Muslim judge at the federal district or appellate levels, according to the group.

Bill Voge, chair and managing partner of Latham & Watkins, commended Qureshi on the nomination in a statement provided to Law360.

“Abid is an exceptional litigator who has represented clients before state and federal courts (at the district and appellate levels), before national and international arbitral tribunals, and before state and federal regulators,” Voge said. “He practices with the highest level of integrity and has made significant contributions to our firm, particularly with respect to Latham’s pro bono program which he has led as global chair since 2012.”

Qureshi, who didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday, focuses on False Claims Act cases, violations of federal securities law and healthcare fraud in his trial practice, according to his firm biography. He has also handled internal corporate investigations, regulatory proceedings and governmental inquiries.

A 1993 graduate of Cornell University and 1997 graduate of Harvard Law School, Qureshi has devoted the entirety of his legal career to Latham & Watkins, according to a White House press release. He served as co-chair of the firm’s D.C. litigation department between 2006 and 2011.

In his pro bono work, Qureshi has previously worked with Muslim Advocates on two civil rights cases, the group said in a statement.

There are currently two other pending nominations to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia: those of Florence Y. Pan and Todd E. Edelman, both associates judges on the D.C. Superior Court who were nominated in April. A confirmation hearing for Pan was held in July.

According to the American Bar Association, under the current 114th Congress, the number of vacancies for Article III judgeships has spiked from 45 to 89. Twelve pending district court nominees were named more than 300 days ago while six nominees were nominated more than 200 days ago, according to the organization.

Additional reporting by Andrew Strickler. Editing by Christine Chun.  https://www.law360.com/legalindustry

http://www.kshb.com/news/national/obama-taps-muslim-american-judge-for-federal-bench

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