Posted on September 14, 2011

Report: Obama’s Judges More Diverse

Mackenzie Weinger, Politico, September 13, 2011

President Barack Obama is the first president who has not picked a majority of white males for the judiciary at this point in his term, according to a new report.

Nearly three out of every four confirmed judicial nominees have been women or minorities, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday. That means more than 70 percent of Obama’s picks during his first two years in office are “non-traditional” nominees, or not white males, political science professor Sheldon Goldman said.

“It is an absolutely remarkable diversity achievement,” Goldman told the AP.

In Bill Clinton’s administration, 48.1 percent were “non-traditional,” while Bush made 32.9 percent of his picks women or minorities.

Obama has had 98 of his nominees confirmed thus far, with the administration saying 21 percent are African American, 11 percent at Hispanic, seven percent are Asian American and 47 percent are women, the AP reported.

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