Biden introduces five federal judicial nominees with diverse backgrounds

President Joe Biden unveiled five federal judgeship nominations on Wednesday, including the first Muslim-American on a circuit court, to join his more than 150 confirmed judges.

The Democratic president's statements are part of the White House's push to select diverse justices, notably from different professional backgrounds, even in Republican-held areas.

Service Employees International Union general lawyer Nicole Berner was Biden's Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals nominee. Assuming Senate confirmation, Berner would be the court's first openly LGBTQ judge.

If confirmed, Biden's Third Circuit Court of Appeals candidate Adeel Mangi would be the first Muslim-American circuit court judge.

Biden nominated Judge Cristal Brisco, the first Black woman and woman of color to serve on the Northern District of Indiana U.S. District Court. He also proposed 15-year judge Gretchen Lund for that district, which has many vacancies.

The president nominated former assistant federal public defense Amy Baggio for the District of Oregon.

The Senate confirmed 154 life-tenured judicial candidates chosen by Biden. The White House says two-thirds are women and two-thirds are persons of color, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black female justice.