NAPABA Celebrates Confirmation of Judge Amul Thapar to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
For Immediate Release
May 25, 2017
For More Information, Contact:
Brett Schuster, Communications Manager
[email protected], 202-775-9555
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Judge Amul R. Thapar as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Judge Thapar is the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the Sixth Circuit and the second South Asian American federal appellate court judge in the history of the United States.
“We congratulate Judge Thapar on his historic confirmation,” said Cyndie M. Chang, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) president. “The confirmation of Judge Thapar 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.”
With Judge Thapar’s confirmation, five Asian Pacific Americans sit as federal appellate court judges out of almost 175 nationwide.
Judge Thapar is a 2015 recipient of the NAPABA Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award and served as the keynote speaker at the 2007 NAPABA Convention. In 2007, NAPABA strongly supported President George W. Bush’s nomination of Judge Thapar to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, where upon confirmation, he became the first South Asian American Article III judge in the U.S.
Throughout Judge Thapar’s career, he has shown thoughtfulness, fairness, and understanding of his roles in public service. Prior to his service on the bench, Judge Thapar was the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and was an assistant U.S. attorney. He began his legal career in private practice following clerkships with Judge S. Arthur Speigel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and Judge Nathaniel R. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He is a graduate of Boston College and the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley.
NAPABA is proud to have supported Judge Thapar, including providing testimony in support of his nomination and meeting with Senators during NAPABA’s annual Lobby Day. We thank President Trump for nominating Judge Thapar, and NAPABA thanks Senators McConnell and Paul for recommending Judge Thapar to the White House.
For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or [email protected].