Each nominee will now receive a full Senate vote on their confirmation to the federal bench
Senator Murray: “Ms. King, Ms. Lin, and Judge Estudillo will be outstanding additions to our judiciary, and I look forward to voting for each of their confirmations.”
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance three Washington state judicial nominees to the floor for consideration by the full Senate. The date of the floor vote is not yet scheduled. Each candidate testified before the full Senate Judiciary Committee last month where Senator Murray spoke in support of each nominee. Following today’s vote, Senator Murray reiterated her strong support for the nominees, Lauren King, Judge David Estudillo, and Tana Lin, to fill U.S. District Court Judicial vacancies in the Western District of Washington.
Tana Lin, a former public defender and civil rights attorney, and Lauren King, a pro tem judge in the tribal court system, have both been nominated to serve in the Seattle courthouse, while Grant County Superior Court Judge David Estudillo, a former immigration lawyer, has been nominated to serve in the Tacoma courthouse. Senator Murray recommended each candidate to the Biden-Harris administration in early 2021 after their names were submitted to the Senator for consideration by Murray’s judicial merit selection committee, which was recently highlighted as a national model for its success in recruiting a diverse and highly qualified range of candidates for the federal bench by the House Judiciary Committee.
“I was proud to submit Ms. King, Ms. Lin, and Judge Estudillo’s names to President Biden, and I’m glad to see them all reach the final step before confirmation to their posts,” Senator Murray said. “They have all shown they have the experience and qualifications needed to fairly and justly serve the people of Washington state, and the experiences and backgrounds they bring will go a long way towards making sure our court reflects the diversity of our state. Ms. King, Ms. Lin, and Judge Estudillo will be outstanding additions to our judiciary, and I look forward to voting for each of their confirmations.”
Judge David Estudillo passed through the committee by a vote of 15-7 and his confirmation will advance to the full Senate for consideration. He currently serves as the Presiding Judge of the Grant County Superior Court and is the President of the Washington State Superior Court Judges’ Association. Read more about Judge Estudillo’s nomination HERE.
Lauren King passed through the committee by a vote of 13-9 and her confirmation will advance to the full Senate for consideration. She chairs Foster Garvey P.C.’s Native American Law Practice Group and has served as a pro tem appellate judge for the Northwest Intertribal Court System since 2013. King would be Washington state’s first Native American federal judge. Read more about Lauren King’s nomination HERE.
Tana Lin passed through the committee by a vote 11-10 and her confirmation will advance to the full Senate for consideration. She is Counsel at Keller Rohrback L.L.P. in Seattle where she practices in the complex litigation group, working to vindicate the rights of employees, consumers, and shareholders. She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Washington. Lin would be Washington state’s first Asian American federal judge. Read more about Tana Lin’s nomination HERE.
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