Nguyen Confirmed to Ninth Circuit

Just last Monday, May 7, the Senate confirmed Jacqueline H. Nguyen of Los Angeles to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Nguyen received minimal resistance and was confirmed by the Senate with a 91-3 vote.

Nguyen’s confirmation was expected, as she was included in a deal among Senate leaders to confirm 14 noncontroversial judicial nominees by this summer. Last Monday, the Senate also confirmed two judges by voice vote: Kristine Gerhard Baker to be District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and John Lee to be District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.

David Madden, of the Ninth Circuit's Public Information Office details some of Nguyen’s professional background:

“Judge Nguyen was also the nation’s first federal district court judge of Vietnamese descent. She was previously appointed by President Obama to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, receiving her commission on December 4, 2009.

Prior to coming onto the federal bench, Judge Nguyen has served as a judge of the California (Los Angeles County) Superior Court from 2002 to 2009, and as a federal prosecutor in the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, from 1995 to 2002. ... Judge Nguyen began her legal career at the law firm of Musick, Peeler & Garrett LLP, where she was a litigation associate from 1991 to 1994.”