Jasmine H. Yoon, Sunil R. Harjani and Melissa R. DuBose Confirmed as Federal Judges
They will join district courts in Illinois, Rhode Island and Virginia.
The U.S. Senate today held recorded votes to confirm three individuals as Article III federal judges. With these confirmations, 185 judges nominated by President Joe Biden have now been confirmed by the Senate. With today’s actions, 142 of Biden’s judicial nominees have been approved for service on federal district courts.
In a 55-41 vote, Jasmine Hyejung Yoon was confirmed as a Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. She is Biden’s second confirmation to the 4-person court, with no additional vacancies at this time. Once commissioned, she will become the first Asian American judge to serve on this court.
Yoon assumes the Charlottesville-based seat currently held by Michael F. Urbanski, who will take senior status in July 2024. A nominee of President Barack Obama, Urbanski has served on this court since May 2011 and has been Chief Judge since July 2017. Yoon was nominated to this seat on the federal judiciary by Biden in February 2024.
Yoon served as an associate at Crowell & Moring LLP in Washington, D.C. from 2006 to 2009. She then was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2010 to 2016. Between 2019 and 2022, she worked as Associate University Counsel at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Since 2022, she has been Vice President of Corporate Integrity, Ethics, and Investigations at Capital One Financial Corporation.
In a 53-46 vote, Sunil R. Harjani was confirmed as a Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He is Biden’s sixth confirmation to the 23-person court, with two additional vacancies where the President has one nominee awaiting confirmation by the Senate.
Harjani assumes the Chicago-based seat previously held by Thomas M. Durkin, who took senior status in December 2023. A nominee of President Barack Obama, Durkin served on this court from 2012 to 2023. Harjani was nominated to this seat on the federal judiciary by Biden in February 2024.
Harjani served as an associate at Jenner & Block LLP from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2002 to 2004. He then became senior counsel at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission from 2004 to 2008. From 2008 to 2019, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois - eventually becoming the Deputy Chief of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Section. Since 2019, he has been a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
In a 51-47 vote, Melissa R. DuBose was confirmed as a Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. She is Biden’s first confirmation to the 3-person court, with no additional vacancies at this time. Once commissioned, she will become the first person of color and first openly LGBTQ judge to serve on this court.
DuBose assumes the Providence-based seat currently held by William E. Smith, who will take senior status in January 2025. A nominee of President George W. Bush, Smith has served on this court since November 2002 and was Chief Judge from 2013 to 2019. DuBose was nominated to this seat on the federal judiciary by Biden in February 2024.
Before her legal career, DuBose spent 10 years as a high school U.S. history and social studies teacher. She then became a prosecutor in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office - working there from 2005 to 2008. She served as in-house counsel for Schneider Electric in Foxboro, Massachusetts from 2008 to 2019. Since 2019, she has been an Associate Judge on the Rhode Island District Court in Providence.