Arun Subramaniam | Photo Credit: Twitter@JudiciaryDems
The United States Senate on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 confirmed Indian-American Arun Subramanian as the District Judge for the Southern District of New York, thus becoming the first South Asian judge to serve on this bench.
The Senate confirmed Mr. Subramanian’s nomination on Tuesday evening by a vote of 58-37.
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“We have confirmed Arun Subramaniam as SDNY (Southern District of New York) judge. He is the son of Indian immigrants and the first South Asian-American judge confirmed to SDNY – which has the largest South Asian-American population in the country He has dedicated his career to fighting for the people,” Senate Majority Leader Senate Chuck Schumer said shortly after the confirmation vote.
Before the floor vote, Mr Schumer said Mr Subramanian was “a symbol of the American Dream and a history-maker”: the child of hardworking immigrants from India, he would become the first South Asian to preside over the southern district, which has the largest South American district in the country. Asian population.
“Mr. Subramanian’s resume tells a very clear story: He is outstanding, he is accomplished, he has dedicated his entire career fighting for average Americans. He has worked with Judge Dennis Jacobs on the Second Circuit, Judge Gerard Lynch on the Southern District of New York, and the late, great, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” he said.
“He is an expert in consumer protection who has years of experience defending people injured by unfair, illegal practices. He has also defended victims of child trafficking in pornography. Our courts need more people like Arun Subramanian is,” Mr. Schumer said.
Mr. Subramanian was born in 1979 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents immigrated to the US from India in the early 1970s. His father worked as a control systems engineer in several companies; His mother worked several jobs, including as a bookkeeper.
He graduated summa cum laude from Case Western Reserve University in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and English. Three years later, he earned a law degree from Columbia Law School as a James Kent and Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He also served as executive articles editor for the Columbia Law Review.
Currently a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP in New York, where he has worked since 2007, Mr. Subramanian served as a law clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the United States Supreme Court from 2006 to 2007.
A staunch consumer protection expert, she also defended victims of trafficking in child pornography, Mr. Schumer said.
His victories include securing over USD400 million for state and federal governments through a lawsuit involving Novartis Pharmaceuticals; Received USD590 million in LIBOR settlements in the ongoing price fixing class action; and obtaining a USD100 million judgment in a federal residential mortgage-backed securities case against Flagstar Bank following the 2008 crisis.
“She was also appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts to serve on the court’s advisory committee for the rules of federal evidence,” Schumer said.