Senate confirms Roopali Desai to Court of Appeals

THE US Senate has confirmed Indian American litigator Roopali H Desai to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, making her the first South Asian judge to serve on this powerful court.

Desai was confirmed by the Senate by a bipartisan vote of 67-29 on Thursday (4).

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, the Ninth Circuit is by far the largest of the thirteen courts of appeals, covering a total of 9 states and 2 territories and with 29 active judgeships.

‘It comes as no surprise that Ms Desai's nomination has received high praise across the political and ideological spectrum, as well as from state judges, law enforcement officials, and three different fire fighters' organisations. With 16 years of experience as a litigator, she is an outstanding addition to the Ninth Circuit,' said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Desai was a partner at Coppersmith Brockelman where she has practiced since 2007. She served as a law clerk for Chief Judge Mary Schroeder on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2005 to 2006. Desai received her Juris Doctor degree in 2005 from the University of Arizona.