M. Patricia Smith was the Solicitor of the United States Department of Labor,the department's chief law interpreter-enforcer and third-ranking official from 2009 to 2017. She was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the Solicitor of Labor on April 20,2009. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 4,2010,assumed her duties on March 1,2010,had her swearing-in ceremony on April 23,2010,and remained in office until January 19,2017. As Solicitor of Labor,Smith oversaw over 450 attorneys across the country and more than 180 Federal labor laws and implementing regulations that cover about 125 million workers.
Julianna Michelle Childs is an American lawyer and jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She was previously a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina from 2010 to 2022 and a judge of the South Carolina Circuit Court from 2006 to 2010.
Lucy Haeran Koh is an American lawyer serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Koh previously served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California from 2010 to 2021. She also served as a California state court judge of the Santa Clara County Superior Court from 2008 to 2010. She is the first Korean American woman to serve on a federal appellate court in the United States.
A filibuster is a tactic used in the United States Senate to delay or block a vote on a measure by preventing debate on it from ending. The Senate's rules place few restrictions on debate;in general,if no other senator is speaking,a senator who seeks recognition is entitled to speak for as long as they wish. Only when debate concludes can the measure be put to a vote.
Leonard Philip Stark is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and was a United States magistrate judge of the same district.
Caitlin Joan Halligan is an American lawyer who has served as an associate judge of the New York Court of Appeals since April 2023. She served as Solicitor General of New York from 2001 until 2007. President Barack Obama nominated her several times to fill a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit,but the U.S. Senate did not vote directly on the nomination,and in March 2013,Obama withdrew the nomination at her request.
John Zihun Lee is an American lawyer serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois from 2012 to 2022.
Lydia Kay Griggsby is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. She is a former Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims and Chief Counsel for Private and Information Policy for the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Julien Xavier Neals is an American lawyer serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Florence Yu Pan is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia from 2021 to 2022 and a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 2009 to 2021.
Anne Rachel Traum is an American lawyer and academic who is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. She was a professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law in 2002 and again from 2008 to 2022.
Joe Biden assumed office as President of the United States on January 20,2021. The president has the authority to nominate members of his Cabinet to the United States Senate for confirmation under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution.
James Richard Kvaal is an American attorney and education policy advisor who is the current under secretary of education in the Biden administration. Kvaal previously served in the United States Department of Education and White House Office during the Obama administration.
Bridget Meehan Brennan is an American lawyer from Ohio who serves as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She served as acting United States attorney for the Northern District of Ohio from 2021 to 2022.
David Augustin Ruiz is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. He served as a United States magistrate judge of the same court from 2016 to 2022.
Cristina Dionne Silva is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.
President Joe Biden began his presidency with fewer vacancies to fill than his predecessor. He pledged to nominate people with diverse backgrounds and professional experience;further he pledged to nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Victoria Marie Baecher Wassmer is an American government official who serves as the Chief Financial Officer and an assistant secretary of transportation for budget and programs within the Department of Transportation. She previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance and Budget within the department as well as in various roles at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Jessica Looman is an American attorney and government official who is the administrator of the Wage and Hour Division.
