Zahid Quraishi, a child of Pakistani immigrants, is now America’s first Muslim federal judge.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Quraishi, a former federal prosecutor and U.S. Army veteran, on June 10 as U.S. District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey.
President Biden’s nomination of Quraishi and several other minority candidates for federal judgeships reflects Biden’s push for the U.S. government to fully reflect America’s diversity and breadth of professional experience. Biden’s other recent judicial nominees include three African American women and a woman of Asian descent.
In the executive branch, the Biden-Harris administration has assembled nearly 1,500 diverse and highly qualified individuals to serve in the Cabinet and other positions, making it the most diverse government in America’s history.
Quraishi has worked as both a prosecutor and defense attorney, and in civilian and military service. As an assistant U.S. attorney, he prosecuted cases on public corruption, financial fraud and other crimes. In the U.S. Army, Quraishi worked as a prosecutor and twice deployed to Iraq, according to Rutgers Law School, where he earned his law degree.
In private practice, Quraishi focused on criminal defense, corporate investigations and civil litigation. He also sought to advance diversity at a New Jersey law firm where he worked.
