Roopali Desai

Roopali Hardin Desai (born 1978)[1] is a Canadian-American lawyer and jurist from Arizona who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Roopali Desai
Desai in 2023
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Assumed office
October 3, 2022
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byAndrew D. Hurwitz
Personal details
Born1978 (age 44–45)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
EducationUniversity of Arizona (BA, MPH, JD)

Education

Desai was born in 1978 in Toronto, Canada. Desai's parents were born in India.[2] She attended the University of Arizona, graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts. She worked as an outreach coordinator at a children's advocacy center and earned a Master of Public Health from Arizona in 2001. From 2001 to 2002, Desai was director of residential services at a domestic violence shelter. She then attended Arizona's James E. Rogers College of Law, graduating in 2005 with a Juris Doctor.[1][3][4] Desai served as the legal counsel and campaign attorney[5] for senator Kyrsten Sinema.[6]

Career

After graduating from law school, Desai was a law clerk to Chief Judge Mary M. Schroeder of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2005 to 2006. From 2006 to 2007, she was an associate at Lewis & Roca in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2007, Desai joined the Phoenix law firm Coppersmith Brockelman as an associate, becoming a partner in 2013.[3] In naming her one of the publication's 2022 "Women of the Year", USA Today called her "a hero of Democratic legal causes," noting her work to launch a recreational marijuana program in Arizona, her lawsuits fighting false claims about the 2020 United States presidential election, and her work to overturn a ban on mask mandates.[7][8] Desai is a member of the ACLU.[9]

Notable cases

In 2020, Desai represented the Arizona Dispensaries Association in advising it on a marijuana legalization campaign.[10]

After the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Desai successfully represented the Arizona Secretary of State's office in several cases involving unsuccessful challenges to the state's results.[11]

Federal judicial service
Desai testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee

On June 15, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Desai to serve as a United States circuit judge for the Ninth Circuit. Biden nominated Desai to the seat vacated by Judge Andrew D. Hurwitz, who announced his intent to assume senior status upon confirmation of a successor.[12] On July 13, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[13] On July 28, 2022, her nomination was favorably reported by the committee by a voice vote, with Senators Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Marsha Blackburn recorded as voting “no”.[14][15] On August 4, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed her nomination by a 67–29 vote, just 50 days after her initial nomination and the fastest of any court of appeals nomination since the Clinton administration.[16][17] She received her judicial commission on October 3, 2022.[18] Desai became the first South Asian person to serve on the Ninth Circuit.[19]

Personal life

Desai is married to artist and Phoenix College professor Jay Hardin. The couple have three daughters.[20]

See also

References
  1. "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  2. "Senate Confirms Roopali H. Desai to Seat on U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit" (PDF). Public Information Office. United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit. August 4, 2022.
  3. "President Biden Names Nineteenth Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. "Ms Roopali Hardin Desai Profile". www.martindale.com. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  5. "Biden nominates Arizona attorney who fought attempts to overturn election as judge for 9th Circuit". June 15, 2022.
  6. "Sinema staffs up big and early | Arizona Capitol Times". January 4, 2012.
  7. Hackney, Suzette (March 14, 2022). "'Pay it forward': Why Roopali Desai fights election misinformation and on behalf of the vulnerable". www.usatoday.com. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  8. Randazzo, Ryan (March 13, 2022). "'I don't have a lot of fear about speaking truth to power': Roopali Desai honored by USA TODAY". www.azcentral.com. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  9. "Roopali H. Desai". ACLU of Arizona. July 13, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  10. "'Pay it forward': Why Roopali Desai fights election misinformation and on behalf of the vulnerable". www.usatoday.com. March 14, 2022.
  11. "Latest Biden Nominees Would be First Latino on DC Circuit, First Women of Color on 5th Circuit".
  12. "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. June 15, 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  13. "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. July 12, 2022.
  14. "Results of Executive Business Meeting – July 28, 2022" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  15. Raymond, Nate (July 28, 2022). "GOP senators withhold opposition to Sinema-backed judicial nominee". Reuters.
  16. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Roopali H. Desai, of Arizona, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit)". United States Senate. August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  17. "With Sinema's help, Senate confirms Arizona lawyer Roopali Desai as appeals court judge". August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  18. Roopali Desai at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  19. Raymond, Nate (June 15, 2022). "Biden's seven new judicial nominees include first Latino for D.C. Circuit". Reuters.
  20. "'Pay it forward': Why Roopali Desai fights election misinformation and on behalf of the vulnerable". www.usatoday.com. March 14, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
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