Washington, D.C.–The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) hailed President Barack Obama’s appointment on April 25 of Lorna Schofield to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32), CAPAC Chair, promptly urged the swift confirmation of Schofield. She said that if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, “Ms. Schofield would become the first Filipino American federal judge in U.S. history, and would also be serving in a district where nearly one in ten residents is an Asian American.”

She added: “Lorna Schofield is an exceptionally well qualified nominee with the intellect, experience, and credentials to serve as an Article III judge. I commend Senator Chuck Schumer for recommending Ms. Schofield, and thank President Obama for his firm commitment to promoting diversity in our federal judiciary.”

Schofield, named one of the nation’s 50 most influential minority lawyers by the National Law Journal in 2008, had served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Remarked Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15): “Today, we celebrate the historic appointment of Lorna Schofield. As CAPAC Chair Emeritus, I am proud to support the Obama Administration’s efforts to nominate experienced candidates like Ms. Schofield to the judiciary.”

“I thank Senator Schumer and President Obama for their leadership with her nomination,” he added. “I now urge the Senate to act swiftly in confirming her to ensure a more diverse representation of AAPIs on the federal bench.”

Schofield also enjoys the support of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Asian American Justice Center, which have successfully lobbied for Asian American nominees over the years.

The Obama administration itself has supported such nominations, with the result that the number of Asian American Article III judges has doubled from eight to 16.

National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) National Chairman Ed Navarra expressed optimism. “Given that Asian Americans are significantly underrepresented in the federal judiciary, Ms. Shofield’s addition will greatly enhance the judiciary’s diversity,” he said.

Schofield graduated from Indiana University magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her law degree from New York University Law School, where she served as an editor of the NYU Law Review. She became a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton in 1991.