iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
An Indian American advocate was appointed by the outgoing US President Donald Trump, for the position of Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Country of Appeals.
The White House announced the nomination of Vijay Shanker, currently Deputy Chief of the Appellate Section in of the Criminal Division and Senior Litigation Counsel at the Justice Department on Thursday.
His appointment to a 15-year term to the highest court of the nation’s capital will have to be approved by the Senate.
Shanker joins several Indian Americans who serve or have been nominated to important positions in the judiciary.
His nomination is currently pending before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. If confirmed by the Senate, Shanker will replace John R Fisher, who has now retired. The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the highest court for Washington DC.
Before joining the Department of Justice in 2012, Shanker was in private practice with the Washington, DC, offices of Mayer Brown, LLC and Covington and Burling, LLP.
Upon graduation from law school, Shanker served as a law clerk to Judge Chester J Straub on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Shanker completed his bachelor’s, cum laude, from Duke University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as a Notes Editor for the Virginia Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif.
He joined the United States Department of Justice in 2005, and currently serves as Senior Litigation Counsel in the criminal division and as Deputy Chief of the Appellate Section.
He was previously in private practice with the Washington, D.C., offices of Mayer Brown and Covington & Burling.
