Meet Minnesota's first Hmong American judge

Sophia Vuelo sworn in to become the first Hmong American to serve as a judge in Minnesota.



This week in Minnesota, Sophia Vuelo was sworn in as the 29th member of the Ramsey County District Court bench, becoming the state's first Hmong American judge, and only one of a few in the country.

Minnesota swears in state's first Hmong-American judge

Vuelo has nearly 20 years experience as an attorney in both the private and public sectors, working as both a prosecutor and public defender. She was running her own law firm specializing in juvenile protection, family and criminal law when Gov. Mark Dayton appointed her to replace retired Judge Margaret Marrinan.

She is the first Hmong American to serve as a judge in Minnesota, and believed to be only the third Hmong American judge in the United States.

Judge Lucy Koh nominated to federal appeals court

President Obama nominates Judge Koh to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.



As expected, San Jose-based U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, one of the most influential federal judges in Silicon Valley, was nominated Thursday to the nation's largest federal appeals court.

San Jose Judge Lucy Koh nominated to federal appeals court

News broke earlier this month that the White House intended to nominate Koh, who has served as a United States District Judge for the Northern District of California since 2010, to the San Francisco-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. President Barack Obama officially nominated Koh on Thursday.

"Judge Lucy Haeran Koh has distinguished herself as a first-rate jurist with unflagging integrity and evenhandedness," President Obama said. "I am grateful for her service to the state of California and look forward to adding her considerable wisdom and experience to the Ninth Circuit Court."

White House to nominate Lucy Koh to federal appeals court

Koh is expected to be nominated to fill a spot on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.



San Jose-based U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, one of the most influential federal judges in Silicon Valley, is expected to soon be nominated by the White House to the nation's largest federal appeals court.

White House expected to nominate high-profile Silicon Valley-based Judge Lucy Koh to federal appeals court

According to layers and judges familiar with the Obama administration's vetting process, Koh is expected to be nominated to fill a spot on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later this month.

Koh, who has served nearly six years on the Bay Area's federal bench, is best known for presiding over the smartphone patent feud over between Apple and Samsung, as well as antitrust litigation over hiring practices at some of Silicon Valley's largest tech companies.

Lynn Nakamoto appointed to Oregon Supreme Court

She will be the first Asian American to sit on the state's highest bench.



This week in Oregon, Governor Kate Brown announced that Lynn Nakamoto has been appointed to serve on the Oregon Supreme Court. She will be the first Asian American to serve on the state's highest bench.

Oregon Governor Announces 'Historic' Supreme Court Appointment

Nakamoto, who has served on the Oregon Court of Appeals since 2011, will replace Judge Virginia L. Lander, who is stepping down from the Oregon Supreme Court at the end of the year.

Nakamoto first began practicing law in Oregon more than 30 years ago:

First Cambodian American judge elected in Georgia

Meng H. Lim elected Superior Court judge for the Tallapoosa District



Last week in Georgia, voters in Polk and Haralson County made history, electing Meng H. Lim as Superior Court judge for the Tallapoosa district. The win makes Lim the first Cambodian American -- ethnically Chinese Cambodian, actually -- and the first Asian Pacific American ever elected to a Superior Court judgeship in Georgia.

Polk, Haralson voters choose Lim for Superior Court Judge

Lim was in first place but didn't win a clear majority for the seat in the May 20 election. In last week's runoff, he took a majority of the vote in Polk County -- 1,812 votes to 1,544 for Polk County attorney Chuck Morris. In his home county of Haralson, voters turned out 2,174 to 927 in favor of Lim.

Lim's family immigrated to the United States from Cambodia when he was 9. Here's a little more background on the newly elected judge, according to his campaign's Facebook page:

Indira Talwani confirmed as federal judge in Massachusetts

First person of Asian descent to serve as an Article III judge in the First Circuit

More great judicial confirmation news... On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Indira Talwani to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts by a 94-0 vote.

Indira Talwani Confirmed As First Asian Pacific American Federal Judge in Massachusetts

Talwani is the first person of Asian descent to serve as an Article III judge in Massachusetts and in the First Circuit, which includes Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico and Rhode Island. She is also only the second female Article III judge of South Asian descent nationwide.

Prior to her confirmation, Talwani was a partner with Segal Roitman in Boston and was previously a partner with Altshuler Berzon in San Francisco.

Paul Lo sworn in as nation's first Hmong American judge

Judge Lo takes his spot on the Merced County Superior Court bench



Last week in California, the Merced County Superior Court swore in its newest judge to the bench and made history. Paul Lo is the first person of Hmong descent to become a judge in the United States.

Merced County's Paul Lo becomes first Hmong judge in U.S.

Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Lo, a veteran attorney, to the Superior Court bench in late December.

On Friday, in front of packed audience of family, friends and community members at The Merced Theatre, Lo took the oath of office, put on his official judge's robe, and shared the emotional story of his family and the people who paved the path for him to become the first Hmong American judge:

Nation's first Hmong American judge appointed in California

Paul C. Lo appointed to a judgeship in the Merced County Superior Court

Last week in California, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Paul C. Lo to a judgeship in the Merced County Superior Court. The historic appointment makes Lo the first Hmong American judge in United States history.

First Hmong American judge in U.S. appointed in Merced County

Lo, 45, has been a practicing attorney for twenty years. He says that when he first arrived to the United States with this family at age 11, as refugees from the Vietnam War, he didn't speak any English. He eventually graduated from the University of California at Davis and UCLA School of Law.

Here's some more information from the Office of the Governor's press release:

Senate confirms Raymond T. Chen to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Confirmed! This week, the Senate unanimously confirmed Raymond T. Chen to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: Welcome Judge Chen.

For those keep score, Chen's 97-0 confirmation makes him the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the Federal Circuit in more than 25 years.

Chen, who was nominated to the court by President Obama back in February, currently serves as the Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor for the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Here's some more on his background:

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.

Pamela K. Chen confirmed to Federal Bench

On Monday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Pamela K. Chen to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Her confirmation makes her the first openly gay, Asian American person to preside on a federal bench: Lesbian Judge Pamela Chen Appointed to Federal Bench.

Chen, who was nominated by President Obama in August with a recommendation by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, was confirmed with little opposition. She also becomes the second Chinese American woman and one of only a few out lesbians to hold one of the country's 900 lifetime federal judgeship appointments.

President Obama nominates Raymond T. Chen to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

More news of Asian American judicial nominations... On Thursday, President Obama nominated Raymond T. Chen to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Chen currently serves as the Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor for the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

President Obama also nominated Todd M. Hughes to the court. If confirmed, Hughes will be the first openly gay person to serve on a federal appellate court. Here's some more information on Raymond T. Chen's background, from the White House's press release:

derrick kahala watson appointed to federal bench

Today, President Barack Obama nominated Derrick Kahala Watson, an assistant U.S. attorney and chief of the civil division for the District of Hawaii, to a seat on the U.S. District Court in Honolulu: President Obama Nominates Seven to the United States District Courts.

Watson was one of seven nominees to District Court judgeships announced by the White House. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he would be the only person of Native Hawaiian ancestry on the federal bench. Here's some more information on his background:

Lucy H. Koh confirmed to federal judgeship

Koh is the first Asian American judge on the Bay Area federal bench.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Lucy Koh was confirmed Monday to a federal judgeship in San Jose, making her the first Asian American to ever gain a spot on the Bay Area federal bench.

Santa Clara County judge becomes first Asian-American federal judge in Bay Area history.

Koh will fill the seat of veteran San Jose U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte, who has taken semi-retired status. In addition to giving northern California its first Asian federal judge, Koh also becomes the only current Korean American federal judge in the nation and just the second in history.

Obama nominates Judge Lucy Koh to federal bench

If confirmed, Koh would become the first Korean American federal court judge in the country.

On Wednesday, President Obama nominated Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Lucy H. Koh for a federal judgeship in California's Northern District Court. If confirmed, she would become the first Korean American federal court judge in the country.

Obama nominates Santa Clara County Judge Lucy Koh to federal bench.

Although relatively new to the state court bench, Koh has an extensive background in federal practice as a lawyer, working as a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles and Washington. She also was a partner at the McDermott, Will and Emery law firm in Palo Alto, representing technology companies in patent, trade secret and commercial civil cases.

Before her state court appointment, Koh was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California from 1997 to 2000. Previously, she served as special assistant to the U.S. deputy attorney general in Washington, D.C., and special counsel for the U.S.

"no tickee, no laundry"... no reappointment.

A few weeks back, a Superior Court judge in New Jersey, Fred Kieser Jr., was criticized by a key Senate committee considering his reappointment to the bench for directing a racial slur at a plaintiff in a child-support case and calling her daughter "a sponge."

Senators scold judge for remarks on child support

Basically, Kieser told the woman, "no tickee, no laundry" after she failed to provide proof of her daughter's college enrollment. Yeah. Stupid. The weird thing is, the woman is not Asian: