WASHINGTON–The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) welcomed President Barack Obama’s nomination of Denny Chin for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

If confirmed, Judge Chin would be the only currently active Asian Pacific American federal appellate court judge in the US, out of about 175 federal appellate court judgeships.

Judge Chin also would become the first-ever Asian Pacific American federal appellate court judge nominated and confirmed outside of the Ninth Circuit and the first Asian Pacific American federal appellate court judge ever in the Northeast.

Remarked NAPABA President Andrew T. Hahn: “Judge Chin is an active and longstanding member of NAPABA, and we are ecstatic about his nomination. We thank the Obama Administration for its continued commitment to increasing diversity in the judiciary and Senator Charles Schumer for his strong support of Judge Chin and the Asian Pacific American community.”

It has been over five years since there has been an Asian Pacific American active on any federal appellate court in the nation. And it has been over 14 years since an Asian Pacific American has been nominated to serve on any federal appellate court. If Judge Chin is confirmed, he will be the fifth-ever Asian Pacific American judge to serve on the US Court of Appeals.

Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of AAJC, noted: “Known as a ‘judge’s judge’ for mentoring many new members of the bench, Judge Chin consistently receives strong reviews from lawyers appearing before him, regardless of whether the lawyer represents the government, criminal defendants, plaintiffs, or defendants.”

Judge Chin has been a US District Judge for the Southern District of New York since 1994, and he is currently the longest serving Asian Pacific American federal district court judge.

He has earned a reputation as an erudite, conscientious jurist and received countless distinctions such as the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s Trailblazer Award, the New York State Division of Human Rights’ Lifetime Achievement Award, the AAJC’s Distinguished Service Award, and Fordham Law School Alumni Association’s Medal of Achievement.

Before serving as a federal district court judge, Judge Chin worked for several years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He also has worked in private practice, both in large and small firms. He began his legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Henry F. Werker, US District Judge for the Southern District of New York.

Many of the traits that make Judge Chin an excellent jurist can be traced to his own background. Judge Chin was born in Hong Kong, and moved to the US when he was two years old. His parents, who fled from China to Hong Kong to escape the Communists, were able to move to the United States under the Refugee Relief Act of 1953.

He grew up in New York City in Hell’s Kitchen. His father worked as a cook in Chinese restaurants, while his mother worked as a seamstress in the garment industry. Through hard work and family sacrifices, he was able to attend the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in New York, graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University, and was Managing Editor for the Law Review at Fordham Law School.