Win a Fair Share of Judgeships

Mission: To increase the number of Asian American Article III federal judges

   A glance at the table below will reveal:

In 1988, the paucity of Asian Am federal judges was already pitiful.
       We represented 2.73% of nation's population but only 0.67%
       of the 749 Article III federal judges. Only 4 District & 1 Appeals
       Court federal judges were Asian Ams.
25 years later, in 2013, our population % almost doubled to 5.00%;
       our nation's Article III judges has increased by 125; our %
       of lawyers has increased greatly, yet, still ONLY 21 District
       judges were Asian Ams, and 4 at the Appeals court level!

   That was an astounding regression. Just the increase in population and the increase in federal judges from 749 to 874 should have gotten us 10 such judges. It was sad in 1988, but 25 years later, the situation got sadder! If the proportion of such judges reflects the population ratio, there would be 44 such Asian Am. judges in 2013, not that 80-20 is arguing for a quota system. However, having only 25 Asian Am federal judges among the 874 in year 2013 was outrageous. Who is minding the store?

   That was when 80-20 held a press conference to announce its goal to remedy the situation, in the presence of 4 of the 6 Asian Am. federal judges (see picture at the bottom of this page). Since then we greatly publicized our "legal eagles" and the paucity of Asian Am federal judges. In addition, 80-20 sent a questionnaire to all presidential candidates and obtained iron-clad commitments from 9 of the 11 for a dramatic increase of Asian Am federal judges, in numbers and in ranks, including those of President Obama and V.P. Biden.

NAPABA stands for The National Asian Pacific American Bar Assoc.

NOTE:
1) The number of AsAm federal judges has doubled from 6 to 15 in the 4 years that 80-20 has selected it as a "must improve target."
2) We now will have 2 Circuit Court judges.
3) Display Pres. Obama's reply to 80-20 EF emphasizing Q3 to Q6

References:
* http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/2008-nat-res.html
* http://www.census.gov/popest/archives/1990s/nat-srh.txt
* http://www.census.gov/popest/archives/1980s/80s_nat_detail.html

   2008 data showed that the number of Asian American federal judges had been increased to 8. However, our population is 5.09%. In addition, there are more Asian Americans lawyers than black and Hispanic lawyers combined.

Total Federal Judges 875
88 African American judges 10.7%
54 Hispanic judges 6.5%
8 Asian American judges 0.9%

* Nom. P. means "Nominees Pending for Senate confirmation"
** NPFV means “Nominees pending for future vacancies”

Updated summary of judicial vacancies can be found at:
http://www.uscourts.gov/judicialvac.cfm
The specific vacancies are listed at:
http://www.uscourts.gov/vacancies/reports/jdarvac1_current_circuit.html

Feb. 2006 - Asian American Federal judges being honored by 80-20 at our "Gathering of Asian American Legal Eagles" luncheon in Los Angeles