President Barack Obama last Friday nominated L.A. Superior Court Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen (pictured) to the U.S. District Court, reports the Metropolitan News here. Read the White House press release here. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Judge Nguyen will be the first Vietnamese-American judge on the federal bench.
A native of Dalat, Vietnam and a daughter of a South Vietnamese colonel, Judge Nguyen came to the U.S. in 1975 when communist forces overran the country. She was graduated from Occidental College in L.A. – the same school where the President spent his freshman year before transferring to Harvard. (Young Obama had left just when young Nguyen arrived.) After Oxy, Jacqueline Nguyen went to UCLA Law.
She joined Musick Peeler & Musick, Peeler & Garrett, one of L.A.’s top firms. After four years in private practice, Judge Nguyen moved to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Central District of California, where she eventually became a deputy chief of the General Crimes Section.
If confirmed, Judge Nguyen would fill the seat left vacant when U.S. District Judge Nora Manella left to join the California Court of Appeals. Coincidentally, Judge Manella was the U.S. Attorney for the Central District when the young litigator Jacqueline Nguyen joined the office.
Back in 1991, when Judge Nguyen graduated from UCLA School of Law, there were still very few Viets going to a top 15 law school. Among her classmates is one lawyer now practicing in Little Saigon: Vickie Hang Le.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association has issued a press release applauding the nomination of Judge Nguyen. Read it here.
The APA Bar Association of Los Angeles, which Judge Nguyen helped found and once served as its president, also issued a statement, here, applauding the nomination.
A U.S. district judgeship is a position covered by Article III of the U.S. Constitution. Each judge is nominated by the President and must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The position is a lifetime tenure, removable only by impeachment by the U.S. Congress.
The Central District of California, to which Judge Nguyen has been nominated, has a sprawling jurisdiction that covers the entire swath from the coast to the Arizona border, reaching San Luis Obispo in the north and Orange County in the south.
Update: Thanks, Bồi Bút, for the link to Judge Jacqueline Nguyen’s picture.
great news! Thanks Bolsavik!
I want to correct an error regarding President Obama: you say here he transferred after his freshman year from Occidental College to Harvard University. Actually, Obama transferred after his sophomore year from Occidental College to Columbia University. Obama did not attend Harvard as an undergraduate.
Does anyone have a link to her pic, so I can check her out?
I am proud that Judge Nguyen has been nominated.
I thought judge Tu M. Pham is the first Vietnamese-American in the federal bench.
http://www.tnwd.uscourts.gov/JudgePham/contact.shtml
http://www.aaba-bay.com/aaba/showpage.asp?code=judge+pham+bio
@VinaLaw: Thanks for bringing this up.
Judge Pham is a Magistrate Judge, which means that he is not an Article III judge; not nominated by the President and not confirmed by the Senate.
Magistrate judges are a part of the federal judicial branch, but the term “federal bench” as commonly used normally denotes only Article III judges and does not normally include the magistrate judges.
Thanks for explaination, Bolsavik.
Here’s a photo of Judge Jacqueline Nguyen, Judge Jacqueline Duong and Judge Nho Trong Nguyen at 2008 NCVAA.
http://www.slide.com/s/zJK0P5RSzj-dGLLLwBs53fimjnSWPn21
Judge Jacqueline Nguyen
http://www.slide.com/s/wKxcTpxnoD-zIjZXIxu1rpe3YkapYm0v?dir=1
http://www.slide.com/s/zKUA9EJW4z9knsb2v6OS41cCoEK3Q07c?dir=-1
This is a photo of Judge Nguyen in NCVAA 2006
http://www.slide.com/s/hQDlGne-4j_13q4kiAMCP9URf0U6bIIP
More good news for our community. We are making progress.
Like all judges, she does not look hot, sheeeshhh, just saying…
Bo May,
They are judges, not beauty queens.
As the matter of fact, Judge Jacqueline Nguyen looks very nice and young outside. I’ve met her a few times and her charisma can sweep you off your feet. We have another female Judge in Northern California, Judge Jacqueline (My-le) Duong. Not only that she is young, talented, she is also very beautiful too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-Dc4S0VCQo
Thanks man.
I’m in looove.
She got the look and the brain, how about her bod? I need to see her figure, too. You have any pics?
This news is better than “JunkCar” news. Hehehe..
“Thất Nhân Tâm” ‘ve made the mess for Vietnamese community, only!
Does anyone have her email address so we can send her a congrats e-card?
While this is good news for the Vietnamese community, it is nothing more than a political stunt of the Obama administration. He nominated the first hispanic woman to the Supreme Court and now the first vietnamese-american to a federal bench. He’s trying to make all minorities groups happy so they will re-elect him.
Proud of Judge Nguyen.
Just don’t vote for obama.
Kafe,
That Nhan Tam — You mean Janet Nguyen, Andrew Do and Nick Le Cong the Political opertator behind the smoke screen? He he he. Bunch of thugs.
No Kid, she meant most of OC politicians including Van Tran & the gang. And you’re right ! They all are bunch of thugs.
Does anyone know,or having the email of Judge-Honor ;
Mrs.jacqueline Nguyen .?? so We may send to her warmer congrat,to honor.
For us.It is about time,for Vietnamese/us,(people) in the Amrican-Political.
We do need her voice,to representing us for the Vietnamese/Minority
community people.
We are deeply proud & congrat to her (Honor). Wishing her make everything sucessful,in her to help our community come true….
Con Rong Chau tien ,forever,and ever,etc…
Thank You Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen, and Obama!