President Obama Appoints Record Number of Women Judges in First Term
Stephanie Rose. Photo from
U.S. Attorney about page.
The Senate’s confirmation Monday of Stephanie Rose as a federal judge in the Southern District of Iowa gave President Obama a record.
Obama has now appointed 72 women to the federal courts, a record for a single term, the Huffington Post reports. Former President Clinton appointed only 61 female judges his first term, though his total over eight years—111 female judges—is a record.
Thirty-one percent of active federal appeals judges are women, and about 30 percent of active federal district judges are women, according to statistics released last month.
Obama has a strong record for judicial diversity. The story cites an Associated Press report last year that found Obama is the first president who hasn’t nominated mostly white males to the federal bench.
Rose, who is the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa in Cedar Rapids, was nominated to replace Judge Robert Pratt of Des Moines, who took senior status, according to the, Des Moines Register.
Related coverage:
Des Moines Register: “Stephanie Rose confirmed as first female federal judge in Iowa’s Southern District”
ABAJournal.com: “Obama Lags Behind Predecessors on Judicial Picks”
