WASHINGTON—The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), a coalition of 30 national Asian Pacific American organizations, released the following statement on today’s confirmation of Sri Srinivasan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
“This Senate confirmation is of tremendous significance to our community,’’ said Deepa Iyer, chair of NCAPA and executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together. “Sri Srinivasan is the first South Asian American federal appellate court judge in the history of the United States, as well as the first Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) judge to serve on the D.C. Circuit.”
Srinivasan’s confirmation helps diversify the federal bench as he will become only the third AA & NHPI federal appellate court judge out of approximately 175 nationwide.
"We are deeply gratified that the Senate has confirmed Sri Srinivasan today," said Wendy C. Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). "Given that over 3.5 million South Asian Americans live in the United States, it is particularly noteworthy that Srinivasan has made history by becoming the first-ever South Asian American federal appellate court judge. Moreover, the D.C. Circuit long has been recognized as one of the most important courts in the country. The presence of an Asian Pacific American on that court gives testament to the strides made by the Asian Pacific American community in recent years. It is a fitting and momentous way to conclude and celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month."
Srinivasan, who is currently the principal deputy solicitor general of the United States, has deep experience in government, including having argued 25 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He also was in private practice for many years, at the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers, where he was partner and chair of the Supreme Court and Appellate Practice.
"Sri Srinivasan is an exceptional attorney with a long history of work in civil rights," said Mee Moua, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice. "In private practice he handled some of the most important Supreme Court cases pro bono for AAJC and for the greater civil rights community. We congratulate him on his historic confirmation and look forward to his tenure on the D.C. Circuit."
Born in India, Srinivasan immigrated to the United States with his family and later became a naturalized citizen. He was raised in Lawrence, Kan., and later went on to earn his undergraduate, business and law degrees at Stanford University.
###
The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), founded in 1996, is a coalition of thirty national Asian Pacific American organizations. Based in Washington D.C., NCAPA serves to represent the interests of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA & NHPI) community and to provide a national voice on policy issues and priorities.