Sri Srinivasan confirmed to DC Circuit Court

Today, the Senate unanimously voted to confirm Srikanth "Sri" Srinivasan to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit: Sri Srinivasan confirmed to judicial seat in unanimous Senate vote.

Srinivasan, who was confirmed in a 97 to 0 vote, is currently the administration's principal deputy solicitor general. He will be the first circuit court judge of South Asian descent in history.

His confirmation is particularly significant, as he becomes a front-runner to be nominated for a Supreme Court vacancy should one arise in the next three years, with some serious bipartisan credentials.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Srinivasan by a vote of 18 to 0, so he was expected to win confirmation by a wide margin.

One of the reasons Srinivasan has enjoyed such broad bipartisan support is that he has worked under both Republican and Democratic presidents: He spent five years working in the Solicitor General’s office under President George W. Bush, and two years working in the same office under President Obama. In the interim he worked for the private law firm of O’Melveny & Myers, representing corporate clients including former Enron executive Jeffrey Skilling. He also clerked for former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Born in Chandigarh, India, Srinivasan immigrated to the United States at age four: his family settled in Lawrence, Kan., where his father was a mathematics professor at the University of Kansas, and his mother taught at the Kansas City Art Institute. A talented athlete, Srinivasan played point-guard on the Lawrence High School basketball team, including one year with future University of Kansas and NBA star Danny Manning.

More here: Senate Confirms Srinivasan for Court Seat.

Here is President Obama's statement on Srinivasan's confirmation:

I’m pleased the Senate unanimously confirmed Sri Srinivasan to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Sri is a trailblazer who personifies the best of America. Born in Chandigarh, India, and raised in Lawrence, Kansas, Sri spent nearly two decades as an extraordinary litigator before serving as Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States. Now he will serve with distinction on the federal bench. Sri will in fact be the first South Asian American to serve as a circuit court judge in our history. While I applaud the Senate’s action, it’s important to remember that this confirmation is the first one to this important court in seven years. The three remaining vacancies must be filled, as well as other vacancies across the country.

And here are official statements from members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus lauding Sri Srinivasan's confirmation: CAPAC Praises Confirmation of Sri Srinivasan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.