President Joe Biden announced that his 200th federal judge got confirmed earlier this week, beating both Presidents Donald Trump and President Barack Obama in the number of confirmations at similar points in their terms. In a statement, Biden celebrated the most diverse group of judges to be appointed.
“These judges are exceptionally well-qualified. They come from every walk of life, and collectively, they form the most diverse group of judicial appointees ever put forward by a president – 64% are women and 62% are people of color,” said Biden.
“Before their appointment to the bench, they worked in every field of law—from labor lawyers fighting for working people to civil rights lawyers fighting to protect the right to vote.”
Included among these judges are 11 LGBTQ+ judges, the most put forward by a sitting U.S. president, tied with Obama. Here are all of Biden’s LGBTQ+ judicial appointees.
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Beth Robinson – U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit
Beth Robinson is the first openly lesbian woman to serve on a U.S. appeals court, being confirmed on November 1, 2021. She was previously the first out LGBTQ+ Vermont Supreme Court justice. Robinson also served as co-counsel in the famous Baker v. Vermont case, which granted equal rights to LGBTQ+ couples.
Alison Nathan – U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit
Alison Nathan was confirmed on March 23, 2022 and is the second openly LGBTQ+ woman to serve on the U.S. appeal court. She gained national attention for presiding over the prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell.
Nicole Berner – U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
Nicole Berner is the first openly lesbian judge to serve on the Fourth Circuit, which covers Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia. She was confirmed on March 19, 2024. She previously served as legal counsel for the Service Employees International Union, supporting many progressive policies.
Ana C. Reyes – United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Ana Reyes is the first LGBTQ+ woman and the first Latina to serve in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. She was confirmed on February 15, 2023, and worked previously at the firm Williams and Connolly, often working pro bono for refugees and asylum seekers.
Daniel Calabretta – United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
Daniel Calabretta was confirmed on February 16, 2023, and is the first openly gay judge to preside over California’s Eastern District. He previously served on the California Superior Court and as a presiding judge on the Juvenile Court. He’s also served under the California governor as deputy legal affairs secretary.
Gina R. Méndez-Miró – United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
Gina R. Méndez-Miró is the first LGBTQ+ judge to preside over Puerto Rico’s District Court. She was confirmed on February 14, 2023, and was Biden’s 100th judge to be confirmed. She previously served as chief of staff to the Puerto Rico Senate and on the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals.
Charlotte Sweeney – United States District Court for the District of Colorado
Charlotte Sweeney is the first lesbian judge to preside over a District Court in Colorado and the first one west of the Mississippi. She was confirmed on May 25, 2022, and previously worked as a partner at Sweeney & Bechtold. She’s a member of the Colorado LGBT Bar Association and is on the board of directors for the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
Nina Morrison – United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Nina Morrison is the second openly LGBTQ+ judge to serve in the Eastern District of New York. She was confirmed on June 8, 2022. She’s worked with the Innocence Project since 2002, helping over 30 innocent people escape from death row.
Melissa R. DuBose – United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
Melissa R. DuBose will be the first Black and openly lesbian judge to preside over one of Rhode Island’s District Courts. She was confirmed on March 12 and is currently awaiting her judicial commission. She formerly worked with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office and in private practice in the realm of contract law.
Jamar K. Walker – United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Jamar K. Walker is Virginia’s first openly gay federal judge, serving in the Eastern District of the state. He was confirmed on February 28, 2023. He started his career in the private sector before moving on to be a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, where he focused on white-collar crime.
P. Casey Pitts – United States District Court for the Northern District of California
P. Casey Pitts is currently the only gay judge serving in the Northern District of California’s U.S. District Courts. He was confirmed on June 14, 2023. He worked previously at Altshuler Berzon LLP, where he focused primarily on labor law.
More LGBTQ+ judges may be brought to the federal court in due time. The march for progress will give more marginalized people the spotlight.
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