Civil rights lawyer Nancy Abudu made history after being confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The U.S. Senate confirmed Abudu 49-47 making her the first Black woman to serve on the court. Abudu waited over a year for a confirmation vote and faced criticism from Republicans.
Abudu, 48, has found success litigating voter rights cases in the South and for Southern Poverty Law Center and American Civil Liberties Union. Along with her work to protect voter rights, Abudu has also worked on cases that involve free speech, religious freedom, same-sex marriage, and reproductive rights.
Abudu becomes the fourth Black woman nominated by President Joe Biden to serve on the federal appeals court, the first time this has occurred in U.S. history.
Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Abudu’s father became an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa which helped to shape her ideas on the fight for equal rights. After graduating Columbia University, she obtained her law degree from Tulane Law School.
By being confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Abudu will hear appeals in federal cases from nine district courts in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
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