May 24, 2013
WASHINGTON: The United States Senate on Thursday voted 97-0 to confirm Srikanth Srinivasan to a judgeship on the prestigious US Court of Appeals in the capital, the highest judicial appointment achieved by an Indian-American, and a precursor to his widely forecast elevation to the US Supreme Court before the end of President Obama's second term.
May 24, 2013
WASHINGTON: The United States Senate on Thursday voted 97-0 to confirm Srikanth Srinivasan to a judgeship on the prestigious US Court of Appeals in the capital, the highest judicial appointment achieved by an Indian-American, and a precursor to his widely forecast elevation to the US Supreme Court before the end of President Obama's second term.
The President himself led a full-blooded endorsement of Srinivasan, highlighting his Indian origins. "Sri is a trailblazer who personifies the best of America. Born in Chandigarh, India, and raised in Lawrence, Kansas, Sri spent nearly two decades as an extraordinary litigator before serving as Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States. Now he will serve with distinction on the federal bench. Sri will in fact be the first South Asian American to serve as a circuit court judge in our history," Obama said in a White House statement. The DC Court of Appeals is considered the most important in the country after the Supreme Court.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle welcomed Srinivasan's confirmation although there have been bitter partisan wrangles relating to Obama's effort to fill court vacancies. Even Thursday's vote was not without procedural drama. But in the end, it all fell into place beautifully for the 47-year old son of Indian academics, whose sister, Srinija Srinivasan, is one of the Yahoo originals as employee #5.
"The enthusiastic bipartisan support he has received reflects his effective work for both democratic and republican administrations and numerous well respected judges," said Virginia Senator Mark Warner(D), who introduced Srinivasan to the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier in the confirmation process. His approval, Warner said,"also has great significance for the Indian-American community, which despite an incredibly rich talent pool in the legal arena is under-represented at the highest levels of our legal system." He added, "Srinivasan is poised to change that as he continues his exceptional career."
Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera termed it "a historic moment for all Indian Americans and Asian Americans," pledging to continue supporting aspiring, qualified Indian-American leaders that felt need to be involved at all levels of the government.
Unlike in India, high judicial appointments in the US are big developments because they often result in ideological power shift and rebalancing. The DC circuit court of appeals is considered particularly crucial because it reviews decisions made by the federal government on matters ranging from war on terrorism to environmental issues. It currently has only seven justices on what is a11-member bench. Four are Republican appointees and three are Democratic, Srinivasan's elevation will tie the bench by virtue of his nomination by the Obama administration although he has been less ideologically hidebound.
Even on his own merit, Srinivasan had won plaudits from both sides for his legal acumen and understated brilliance. In its account of Srinivasan's confirmation, USA Today recalled his skillful exposition before the Supreme Court earlier this year in arguing against the Defense of Marriage Act. Why, Chief Justice John Roberts wanted to know, was the government not only refusing to defend the law, which denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples, but arguing the other side — all while continuing to enforce it?
"From his post feet away from the nine justices, Srinivasan calmly explained what Roberts called a totally unprecedented situation. Along the way, the mathematics professor's son sprinkled in references to numerators, denominators and algorithms, the statutes 28 USC 530(d) and 28 USC 1254, and the precedents established by INS V Chadha, United States v. Lovett and Turner Broadcasting v. FCC," the paper said, adding, "Without notes."
There's an even better story about Srinivasan, According to a former Clinton era legal maven Walter Dellinger, the first time Srinivasan argued a case before the high court, he took a single sheet of paper to the podium so he would not appear overconfident. The paper was blank.
Courtesy: TOI
