[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 174 (Monday, October 4, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S6879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NOMINATION OF LAUREN J. KING

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, this week, the Senate will consider 
Lauren King's nomination for the U.S. District Court for the Western 
District of Washington.
  Ms. King is an incredibly qualified jurist with experience as a 
lawyer and a judge. If confirmed, she will make history--the first 
Native American Federal judge to serve in Washington's Western 
District, which is home to more than 25 federally recognized Tribes.
  Ms. King received her undergraduate degree from the University of 
Washington, her law degree from the University of Virginia, and for 
more than 12 years, she has been a litigator in private practice. She 
has handled cases involving intellectual property, commercial contract 
disputes, construction litigation, and Tribal hunting and fishing 
rights.
  In addition to her work in private practice, Ms. King has served the 
public as an appellate court judge in the Northwest Intertribal Court 
System. She has also advocated for her community as a member of the 
Seattle Indian Health Board, which provides care to Native Americans 
and Alaskan Natives.
  Ms. King has long been recognized as a leader in the legal community. 
She served on the board of the Northwest Tribal Court Judges 
Association, has chaired both the Federal Bar Association's Indian Law 
Section Conference and the Washington State Bar Association's Indian 
Law Section.
  How is she rated by the American Bar Association? ``Well qualified.''
  Ms. King has the strong support of her home State Senators, Murray 
and Cantwell, and bipartisan support in our Judiciary Committee, with 
Ranking Member Grassley and Senator Graham joining us in supporting her 
nomination.
  Her nomination has been endorsed by dozens of Tribes and Tribal 
organizations throughout the United States, including the National 
Congress of American Indians, the Native American Rights Fund, and the 
Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes. Ms. King has given back to her 
community every step of her career.
  With her confirmation, the Members of the Senate can continue the 
vital work of building the Federal judiciary that really reflects the 
diversity of this Nation.
  I urge my colleagues to support her nomination.

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