I rise today to speak on three highly qualified judicial nominees: Judge Lucy Koh, nominated to the Ninth Circuit; Jennifer Sung, also nominated to the Ninth Circuit; and Samantha Elliott, nominated to the District of New Hampshire. These nominees will bring much-needed professional and demographic diversity to the bench. They have the qualifications and character needed to serve effectively in the Judiciary. And all three have records that demonstrate an evenhanded and unbiased approach to the law. Judge Lucy Koh has served as a district court judge for the Northern District of California for more than a decade. When President Obama nominated her to that role in 2010, she was confirmed in the Senate with broad, bipartisan support, a 90-0 margin. That unanimous support reflected Judge Koh's abilities and experience and also a deep sense of trust that that she would be ready to take on the demands of the Federal district court from day 1. Well, Judge Koh has certainly risen to the occasion. As a district court judge, she has issued thousands of written opinions. And she has presided over 271 trials. Notably, Judge Koh has grappled with many complex--and often novel--questions of law, particularly those related to technology. These are the kinds of questions that regularly make their way to the circuit courts. So we know that Judge Koh is already wellversed in the types of cases she will encounter on the Ninth Circuit.…
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