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Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Nusrat Jahan Choudhury to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Her historic confirmation will be an important step forward in this Senate's efforts to bring greater professional and demographic diversity to the Federal bench.

Ms. Choudhury is a seasoned litigator who has dedicated virtually her entire career to defending the civil rights of all Americans. She attended Columbia University and Yale Law School before clerking for Judge Denise L. Cote on the Southern District of New York and for Judge Barrington D. Parker, Jr., on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Following her clerkships, Ms. Choudhury began her career at the American Civil Liberties Union--ACLU--in New York, where she focused on racial justice and national security issues for nearly a decade. Since 2020, she has served as the legal director of the ACLU in my home State of Illinois, specializing in issues including prison reform, civil rights, and government transparency. Ms. Choudhury has spent the vast majority of her time in practice litigating in Federal court, and she has tried three cases to verdict. Her courtroom experience and commitment to ensuring equal justice under law will serve her well on the Eastern District of New York.

She will also bring important diversity to the bench as the first Bangladeshi American and first Muslim woman to serve as a Federal judge.

The American Bar Association rated Ms. Choudhury ``well qualified'' for the district court, and she has the strong support of her home State Senators: Mr. Schumer and Mrs. Gillibrand.

I support Ms. Choudhury's nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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