Litigation

Judge Confirmed, Makes Indiana History

By Peter Hardin

The Senate voted 95-0 to confirm Judge Tanya Walton Pratt as a federal judge in Indiana, paving the way for her to become the state’s first African-American federal judge.

When she takes the oath of office, her confirmation and that of Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson also will mean three of five active judges at the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis will be female, the Indianapolis Star reported.

“Any little girl can say now: ‘I can be a federal judge, and an African-American, in the state of Indiana,’ ” Judge Pratt, 50, said after her confirmation vote. “It shows how inclusive we have become.”

Judge Pratt graduated from Spelman College and Howard University School of Law, according to a report by WTHR. To learn more about President Obama’s pushing for diversity on the bench, read Gavel Grab.

Full post as published by The Gavel on June 17, 2010 (boomark / email).