Joe Biden nominates Indian-American lawyer as federal judge

US President Joe Biden announced the nomination Indian-American lawyer Arun Subramanian as federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, last week. If confirmed, Subramanian will be the first South Asian judge to serve on New York’s southern district court.

Subramanian is a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP in New York, where he has worked since 2007, according to a White House press release, announcing the nomination. A graduate from Columbia Law School in 2004, he has served as law clerk to high-profile judges including the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court of the United States from 2006 to 2007, Judge Gerard E Lynch on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2005 to 2006, and Judge Dennis Jacobs on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2004 to 2005. Subramanian received his BA degree from Case Western Reserve University in 2001.

According to his profile at law firm Susman Godfrey, Subramanian has tried and arbitrated high-stakes cases and has successfully recovered over a billion dollars for public and private entities who were the victims of fraud and other illegal conduct. His expertise isn’t limited to any practice area. He has taken up the cause of public entities and whistle-blowers in False Claims Act cases, victims of trafficking in child pornography, consumers and individuals injured by unfair and illegal practices, and has, for over a decade, focused on complex commercial litigation, including antitrust, patent infringement, and breach of contract cases.

To be appointed as federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, he will now need to be confirmed by the US Senate.

President Biden’s choice of Subramanian and other federal judges, continues to fulfil his promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of America’s greatest assets as a country - both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds, according to the White House statement.