[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 1, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   CONFIRMATION OF JAMAL N. WHITEHEAD

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, yesterday, the Senate voted to confirm 
Jamal Whitehead to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of 
Washington.
  Mr. Whitehead's significant trial experience in both government and 
private practice and his commitment to equal justice under law make him 
an outstanding nominee to the district court. After graduating from the 
University of Washington and the Seattle University School of Law, he 
joined the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's--EEOC--
Seattle field office as a trial attorney. While at the EEOC, Mr. 
Whitehead was responsible for enforcing Federal employment 
discrimination laws, including title VII of the Civil Rights Act and 
the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  Mr. Whitehead then served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the civil 
division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of 
Washington, where he handled both employment and tort matters. He 
returned to private practice in 2016 and has continued to focus on 
civil rights, including representing individuals who have brought 
claims against their employers for harassment, discrimination, or 
retaliation.
  Mr. Whitehead is President Biden's first judicial nominee living with 
a known physical disability, and he will be one of few Federal judges 
who understands this experience. He will bring a valuable perspective 
to the district court bench. In addition, the American Bar Association 
unanimously rated Mr. Whitehead ``well qualified,'' and he has the 
strong support of his home-state Senators, Mrs. Murray and Ms. 
Cantwell.
  I supported his nomination and was glad to see him confirmed.

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