President Biden continues to promote Black women to the federal bench, Judge Sneed and Judge Austin latest nominees

President Biden is continuing his commitment to increasing diversity on the federal bench. This week Biden nominated Judge Julie S. Sneed and Judge Jacquelyn D. Austin to the U.S. District Courts for the Middle District of Florida and the District of South Carolina, respectively.

The White House emphasized Biden’s dedication to promoting fairness and justice within the judicial system. Former Columbia, SC Mayor Stephen Benjamin, who now serves as the Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and a senior adviser to the President, said in a statement, “The Biden-Harris administration continues to set records when it comes to professional and demographic diversity.”

Benjamin noted that the number of Black female federal judges appointed under this administration surpasses any single administration in history, with two-thirds of the 148 life-tenured federal judges confirmed so far being women and people of color. 

Both Judge Sneed and Judge Austin are exceptionally well-qualified, with impressive legal careers before their nominations.

Sneed has served as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Middle District of Florida since June 2015. Before her judgeship, she gained extensive experience as a partner and associate at law firms Akerman LLP and Fowler White Boggs Banker, P.A.

Additionally, she worked as a law clerk for Judge James D. Whittemore on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and Judge Chris W. Altenbernd on the Florida Second District Court of Appeal. Her legal education includes a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law and a B.S. from the University of Florida.

Austin has served as a U.S. magistrate judge for the District of South Carolina since 2011. Before her judicial career, she built a solid foundation in private practice at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, where she worked her way up from associate to partner. Austin also served as a law clerk for Judge Matthew J. Perry Jr. on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. She holds a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law and a B.S. from the University of South Carolina School of Engineering.

The other three nominees announced in the White House press release were Judge Jacqueline Becerra, Judge Melissa Damian, and David S. Leibowitz, all for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

One of President Biden’s most celebrated judicial nominees is Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who made history last year as the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. “These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country—both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds,” White House officials stated in a release.

The White House said these latest nominations continue to show Biden’s ongoing commitment to diversify the federal judiciary and ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the multifaceted nature of the United States.