President Barack Obama on Thursday
nominated Pamela Ki Mai Chen to serve on the United States District
Court for the Eastern District of New York.
If confirmed, Chen would become the
second female Chinese-American and the fifth openly gay individual to
receive a lifetime judicial appointment.
“I am proud to nominate this
outstanding candidate to serve on the United States District Court
bench,” Obama said in a statement. “Pamela Chen has a long and
distinguished record of service, and I am confident she will serve on
the federal bench with distinction.”
Chen was recommended for the post by
New York Senator Chuck Schumer.
“Pamela Chen will be an excellent
federal judge. She is an experienced attorney with a long record of
public service who possesses the legal excellence, intellect and
temperament to be a first-rate judge,” Schumer said. “Ms. Chen
is a trailblazer in every sense of the word. Her leadership skills,
her commitment to justice, and her extensive experience maker her a
fantastic choice for a position in the Eastern District Court.”
Chen was been an Assistant United
States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York since 1998. She
received her J.D. in 1986 from the Georgetown University Law Center
and her B.A. in 1983 from the University of Michigan.