Whitehead is the 7th federal Judge confirmed in Washington state since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration
***WATCH: Senator Patty Murray introduces Jamal Whitehead to Senate Judiciary Committee***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) secured the confirmation of Jamal Whitehead to serve as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Western District of Washington. Senator Murray recommended Jamal Whitehead to the Biden-Harris administration after consulting with her nonpartisan judicial merit selection committee and Whitehead is the first disabled Biden Administration nominee confirmed to the federal bench.
Senator Murray’s process for recommending candidates for the federal bench has been lauded as a national model for senators to replicate due to its emphasis on diversity of professional experience and background. Whitehead is the 7th federal judge from Washington state confirmed to a lifetime appointment since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, all of whom were recommended by Senator Murray.
“Our federal bench should be filled with judges who are committed to justice and who reflect the diversity of the communities they serve—which is why I am thrilled for Jamal, his family, and the Western District of Washington state,” said Senator Murray. “Throughout his career, Jamal has prioritized those who have been discriminated against in the workplace or have been victims of other unlawful employment practices. The people of Washington state deserve a justice system that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and powerful. I look forward to seeing Jamal get to work for the community he grew up in and the people of Washington state.”
Whitehead is currently a shareholder at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender (SGB) in Seattle. His practice focuses on civil litigation, with a focus on representing individuals facing workplace discrimination, retaliation, and other unlawful employment practices as well as bringing class actions based on similar practices. Whitehead’s trial experience includes serving as lead class counsel for over 10,000 detained individuals at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. The suit resulted in a jury award of $17.3 million to the class for backpay owed by the private-prison giant GEO Group, who operates the Northwest Detention Center. Whitehead received his B.A. the University of Washington and his J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.
Senator Murray has been a strong advocate for the confirmation of highly-qualified judicial nominees who reflect the diversity of communities in Washington state and America, pushing for greater professional diversity on the federal bench in particular.
Since the start of the Biden Administration, Senator Murray secured the lifetime appointments of six highly qualified candidates as federal district court judges in Washington state and one nominee to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to Whitehead’s confirmation, she successfully secured the confirmations of Tana Lin, Washington state’s first ever Asian American federal judge and a former public defender and civil rights lawyer; Lauren King, a tribal law expert who is serving as Washington state’s first ever Native American federal judge; John Chun, who is the first Asian American man to serve as a federal judge in Washington state; David Estudillo, the son of Mexican immigrants and a former immigration attorney; and Kit Dimke, who is serving in the Eastern District of Washington. Senator Murray also secured the lifetime appointment of Salvador Mendoza Jr. to serve on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Mendoza is the son of Mexican immigrants who worked as farm laborers, maids, and factory workers—and as a child, he worked as a farmworker himself.
Currently, Senator Murray is also pushing to confirm Tiffany Cartwright, a leading civil rights lawyer, and Kymberly Evanson to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington; additionally, Senator Murray is working to confirm Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.
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