18.%. According to a study by the Alliance for Justice, President Obama has appointed a higher percentage of Black federal judges than any other President in American history.
The Alliance for Justice study shows that during the Obama administration, 18.7% of the judges confirmed so far have been African American compared to 7.3% confirmed during the eight years President Bush was in office. During the eight year presidency of Bill Clinton, 16.4% of the federal judges confirmed were African American. President Clinton appointed more Black federal judges than were appointed over three President previous to him combined. Now, President Obama is in a position to pass Clinton’s numbers and he has already passed the Clinton in the percentage of Black judges.
Women, particularly white women, have also done particularly well under President Obama. During President Obama first five years in office, 41% of the federal judges confirmed have been women. For President Bush it was 22% and for President Clinton it was 29%.
Still there is a push for President Obama to nominate more Black Judges to the federal bench. The push is on even stronger after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid used the “nuclear option” to break a series of filibusters by Republicans of the President’s nominees.
“I think now is not the time to falter on the president’s commitment to diversifying the bench, and that is especially true on the 11th Circuit,” Rep. Terri Sewell of Alabama said in early January after an opening for 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals opened. “Alabama has some very talented African-American lawyers who should be considered.”