Shalina Kumar sworn-in as first Indian-American Judge in Michigan

United States Senate has confirmed that the first federal judge of South Asian descent was chosen from the state of Michigan. This month, the Senate confirmed Indian American Shalina Kumar as US District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. Kumar, who was Oakland County’s Chief Circuit Court Judge, was nominated by US President Joe Biden on 30 June to serve as the US District Court judge for the Eastern District.

Biden had also nominated Judge Jane Beckering to serve as the US District Court judge for the Western District of Michigan. US Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow announced the confirmation of Kumar and Beckering after, on 6 October, the US Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing considering the nominations. In a statement, US Senator Peters said, “I’m pleased the Senate voted to confirm the nominations of Judge Shalina Kumar and Judge Jane Beckering.”

He added, “Judge Kumar is an accomplished jurist whose appointment breaks barriers as the first Michigander of South Asian descent to serve on the federal bench in our state. Judge Beckering is highly qualified and has extensive experience serving on the Michigan Court of Appeals and in private practice. I know both women will serve the people of Michigan and our nation well.”

Meanwhile, Senator Stabenow hailed both Kumar and Beckering as “two outstanding and highly qualified women. Judge Kumar is a respected Chief Judge of the Oakland County Sixth Circuit Court, and I know she will continue her excellent work as a federal judge. Judge Beckering is a highly qualified judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals and has extensive experience serving in Michigan” and she added that, “Their confirmation is great news for Michigan”.

Who is Shalina Kumar?

Since 2007, Shalina D Kumar has served on the Oakland County Sixth Circuit Court and was appointed as the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court by the Michigan Supreme Court in January 2018. The official statement by Peters and Stabenow mentioned that Kumar “retains a full caseload covering both civil and criminal matters”. In her judicial career, Kumar has also served as a presiding judge of the Adult Treatment Court, the Chairperson of the Oakland County Criminal Assignment Committee, the bench liaison to the Oakland County Bar Association Circuit Court Committee, a member of the Michigan State Bar Professionalism Committee, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Michigan Judges’ Association.

Before taking on the bench, Kumar was a civil litigator in private practice from 1997 to 2007. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1993 and the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law in 1996.

(IMAGE: @tify330/Twitter)