Just Two Native American Federal Judges Serve—Lauren King May Be The Third
President Biden unveiled the names of his third slate of judicial nominees, bringing the total number of nominations from the Biden administration to 20. The list of new appointees included three new names for the Court of Appeals and three for the District Court. Included on the roster for the District Court is Lauren J. King. If confirmed, King will be only the third Native American federal judge in the country and the first Native American federal judge in Washington state history.
In the release put out by the White House yesterday, it was made clear that diversity was a key factor in the selection of the six new judicial nominees. “These individuals embody President Biden’s commitment to ensure that his judicial nominees represent not only the excellence but the diversity of our nation with respect to both personal and professional backgrounds,” the statement reads.
The United States has 890 authorized federal judgeships. Currently, just two of those positions are occupied by Native Americans. Diane Humetewa currently serves as a judge for the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. A 2014 Obama administration nominee, Humetewa became the first Native American woman to serve as a federal judge following unanimous approval in the Senate. Ada Brown, a 2019 Trump administration nominee, was confirmed following an 80-13 Senate vote to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Beyond Humetewa and Brown, only two other Native Americans have served as federal judges since the establishment of the U.S federal court system in 1789.
The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, the court King has been nominated for, is one of 94 United States district courts. It operates out of Seattle and Tacoma.
King is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and works as an attorney at the Foster Garvey law firm in Seattle, Washington, where she has practiced since 2012. She currently chairs the firm’s Native American Law Practice Group and serves as a pro tem appellate judge for the Northwest Intertribal Court System. King graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2008, and from the University of Washington, with distinction, in 2004.
So far, several organizations and high-profile individuals have weighed in on the announcement of King’s nomination. The National Native American Bar Association tweeted out their congratulations yesterday evening, urging full support of King through the nomination process. The Muscogee Nation applauded the appointment in an afternoon press release that praised her work on behalf of the Nation. Patty Murray, one of Washington’s senators, also endorsed the Biden administration pick, lauding King as a “highly qualified candidate” in an official statement.
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) released a joint statement with their collective repose to the announcement. “Washington state is home to 29 federally recognized Indian tribes, making it critical that its federal judges better reflect the communities they serve and understand the unique histories of Native peoples and the legal principles that protect and preserve our standing under federal law,” said President Fawn Sharp of the NCAI. “If the federal judiciary reflected nationwide demographics, there would be at least 14 Native Americans serving as federal judges,” the statement also reads.
King’s nomination has been sent to the Senate, where it will await action by the Judiciary Committee.