For Asian-Americans eager to see more of their own serving as judges, the Clinton administration was a time of unprecedented success. Five people of Asian or Pacific descent were confirmed to the federal bench in those eight years — more than were confirmed during any previous administration or during the George W. Bush administration.
President Barack Obama’s selections have already outpaced that record. Six judges of Asian or Pacific descent won confirmation in the administration’s first two years. Two other nominees are pending. “We’ve never seen a president show this much commitment toward minority nominees,” said John Yang, the co-chair of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s judiciary committee.
