With judicial picks, Biden seeks to address disparity in legal experience of federal judges

Washington — In the first five months of his presidency, President Biden has undertaken an effort to broaden the work experiences of judges appointed to the federal courts, addressing a gap in the legal professions represented on the bench that was exacerbated by former President Donald Trump.

Already, Mr. Biden has matched President Barack Obama in the number of nominees to the U.S. Circuit Courts who have worked as public defenders, with five of his seven nominees having represented indigent clients charged with state or federal crimes in the course of their legal careers. Six of the president's judicial picks to serve on the federal trial courts also have worked as public defenders. In announcing his early slate of judicial nominees, Mr. Biden cheered the "broad diversity of background, experience and perspective" represented by his candidates for the federal bench, and he has been lauded for so far following through on a commitment to appoint judges who span the legal profession.