WASHINGTON (CN) — In his tenth round of judicial nominations, President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that Andre Mathis is his nominee to fill an empty seat in the Sixth Circuit and U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan is his nominee for a seat on the Second Circuit.
Racing to fill judicial openings during his first year in office, Biden has announced 64 federal nominees so far.
“These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds,” a White House spokesperson said in a statement following Wednesday’s announcement.
If confirmed, Mathis would be the first Black man — and second Black person — to sit on the Sixth Circuit from Tennessee. The last time a Black man was confirmed to the court was 24 years ago, according to the White House.
Mathis began his legal career in 2007 at the Memphis law firm Glankler Brown before joining the law firm Butler Snow LLP, where he is a partner and has practiced since 2020. He has twice served on the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. For the same district, he has served as a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel and took on pro bono litigation with the Tennessee Innocence Project.
Mathis received praise on Wednesday from members of the National Bar Association, who said the attorney an agent of positive change.
"It is with immense pleasure that the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association endorses Andre Mathis for this position. He has undoubtedly shown his ability to excel in this role through his written and oral advocacy, dedication to his clients, and through his deep desire to serve his community,” said Quinton E. Thompson, president of the Ben F. Jones affiliate chapter of the Bar Association.
Association members also noted the importance of having a diverse judiciary to reflect a diverse country.
"Andre Mathis' career and reputation is a prime example of the type of admirable officer of the court we need as a member of the judiciary. His service to his community and the bar set him a part as a leader and I am personally complimentary of his appointment," National Bar Association President Carlos Moore said.
Congressman Steve Cohen of Tennessee’s 9th District also applauded the announcement of Mathis’ selection Wednesday.
“Andre Mathis is known in Memphis for his legal acumen and sound judgment. I commend President Biden for nominating this highly respected Memphis lawyer to the Sixth Circuit where I know he will serve with honor and distinction,” Cohen said.
U.S. District Court Judge Nathan, Biden’s nominee for the Second Circuit, has served as a judge for the Southern District of New York since 2011.
If she is confirmed, Nathan would make history as the second openly LGBT woman to serve on any federal circuit court.
After graduating from Cornell Law School with accolades, Nathan served as a law clerk in the U.S. Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals before becoming an associate White House counsel in 2009.
Nathan’s recent rulings have displayed strict adherence to procedure and high standards.
In February, she called for the Department of Justice to probe the possible mishandling of evidence by New York prosecutors in the case of an Iranian businessman accused of breaking U.S. sanctions.
She promptly granted a request by the Associated Press to unseal documents in the case, ruling: “The prosecutorial misconduct in this case is of exceptional public interest, bearing both on the fair administration of justice for criminal defendants and the efficacious prosecution of violations of federal law.”
“Accountability and reform can also come from sunlight," she added.
She is currently presiding over the high-profile criminal trial of former Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Nathan ruled in April that Maxwell is not shielded from prosecution in the Southern District of New York by Epstein’s 2007 nonprosecution agreement.
Nathan addressed early reports of her possible promotion on Wednesday, according to the New York Times, stating that she would continue to preside over the Maxwell trial if she was nominated for the position on the circuit court.
“Today’s nominations again underscore the Biden administration’s commitment to rebalancing the federal judiciary through the appointment of diverse and highly qualified legal professionals,” Alliance for Justice President Rakim H.D. Brooks said in a statement on Wednesday.
Calling Nathan and Mathis “extraordinary nominees,” Brooks urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to confirm both choices.
The nonprofit organization, Brooks said, is especially interested to see how Republican U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Haggerty from Tennessee address Mathis’ nomination.
During his four years in office, former President Donald Trump succeeded in having more than 230 federal judges confirmed.
Now, Democratic leaders are vying to reshape the makeup of the nation’s highest courts.
The two latest selections come on hte heels of Biden nominating 10 candidates to federal benches at the end of September and another 10 on Nov. 3.
Nine circuit judges and 19 district judge picks have already been confirmed this year with the backing of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Chairman Richard Durbin of Illinois.
Noting that he had recommended Nathan to former President Barack Obama, Schumer said in a Tweet on Wednesday that he “is proud to champion” the candidate.
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