On Wednesday, in a tightly contested 50-49 vote, Eumi Lee was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to the U.S. District Court for Northern California, finishing a drawn-out eight-month process that necessitated President Joe Biden to renominate the Alameda County trial judge. This confirmation vote saw the unexpected participation of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, aligning with Republicans in opposition, while Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, abstained from the vote. Lee, previously a white-collar defense attorney and law school instructor, marks President Biden’s 144th confirmed U.S. District Court judge.
Before this appointment, Lee had served as an Alameda County Superior Court judge for over four years. She now fills the space left by Judge William Orrick III, who assumed senior status in May. Detailed insights into this nomination and the entire process can be found in the article here.