President Joe Biden’s administration Thursday announced a slew of judicial appointees, one of whom is from Arizona.
“Roopali H. Desai is a partner at Coppersmith Brockelman where she has practiced since 2007. From 2006 to 2007, Ms. Desai was an associate at Lewis & Roca,” said a White House press release. “She served as a law clerk for Chief Judge Mary Schroeder on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2005 to 2006. Ms. Desai received her J.D. in 2005, her M.P.H in 2001, and her B.A. in 2000, all from the University of Arizona.”
Desai has been appointed to serve on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Desai was a prominent attorney in election integrity lawsuits against the state of Arizona, and worked on behalf of the state’s Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R), according to The Washington Times.
She said that the lawsuits were “an effort to find a problem when one does not exist,” and “the entire process and the very hard work of the many, many people who are administering the election … and the voters themselves.”
The Biden administration’s press release focused heavily on the diversity of its slate of candidates, including Desai, and said that if confirmed, she would be “the first South Asian person to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.”
“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,” according to the release.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals hears federal appellate cases from the states of Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, California, and New Mexico.
Biden also announced that he has appointed Judge Dana M. Douglas to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge Bradley N. Garcia to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, commonly known as the second-highest court in the land, just behind the United States Supreme Court.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Roopali Desai” by cblawyers.
