Senate confirms first Korean American woman as federal appeals judge

The Senate on Monday confirmed Lucy Koh to serve on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, making her the first Korean American woman to become a federal appellate judge.

Senators voted 50-45 on Koh’s nomination, with every Republican voting against confirming her to the appeals court seat. 

Democrats and outside groups touted the historic nature of Koh’s confirmation. Democrats and President Biden have emphasized diversity in their court picks after criticizing former President Trump’s nominees for being largely white, male and conservative. 

“Judge Koh would be the first-ever Korean American woman to sit on any Circuit Court in the country. The daughter of immigrants, her background is an inspiring testament to the American dream,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said ahead of Monday’s vote. 

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), who helped introduce Koh at her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this year, added that “in many ways, the story of Judge Koh brings to the bench the epitome of the American Dream.”

“As the first Latino to represent California here in this Senate, I know the importance of diversity at all levels of government, and that includes the judiciary. Our country is stronger and fairer when we are guided by the voices and experiences of all of our people,” Padilla added.

Koh has served as a district judge for the Northern District of California since 2010, including overseeing cases involving the Trump administration’s handling of the U.S. census. 

Schumer added that during that time Koh “has conducted herself with impartiality, excellence, and — above all — with fidelity to the constitution and the rule of law.”

Despite Republican opposition to her nomination on the floor on Monday, GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) previously supported advancing Koh out of the Judiciary Committee in late October. Because the Judiciary Committee is evenly split, nominees can still get a vote on the Senate floor without GOP support, but they have to overcome additional procedural steps. 

Grassley at the time noted that he had “reservations about her approach and reasoning in a number of cases.”