The Senate considered President Biden’s nomination of Julie Rikelman to serve as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The First Circuit is one of the nation’s most powerful courts, with jurisdiction over Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico. Federal judges serve for life and the laws that protect our environment and democracy need judges who will uphold and enforce them. Prior to her judicial service, Rikelman was one of the nation’s leading defenders of the fundamental right to access abortion, leading litigation efforts at the Center for Reproductive Rights. She has practiced before the United States Supreme Court and  other appellate courts. Earlier in her career, she clerked for Judge Morton Greenberg of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and for Justice Dana Fabe of the Alaska Supreme Court. In addition to her exemplary professional qualifications, Rikelman’s lived experience as a refugee who fled anti-Semitic persecution in the Soviet Union adds a crucial perspective to our judiciary. On June 20, the Senate confirmed Rikelman to be a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit by a vote of 51-43.