The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to approve Vermont Supreme Court Associate Justice Beth Robinson to become the first openly LGBT woman to sit on a federal circuit court in the United States.
In August, President Biden nominated Robinson to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City, which hears cases from Vermont, Connecticut and New York. Her nomination next goes to the full Senate, where it awaits a date for the vote.
“Justice Robinson would serve on the Second Circuit with integrity, humility, and a deep reverence for the rule of law,” said Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, in a written statement. “And I have no doubt that she would make all Vermonters and Americans proud.”
Reports the Rutland Herald:
“The 10-9 committee vote was along party lines with Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., approving the nomination. Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California passed on the vote on Thursday and subsequent attempts to get a comment from her Washington, D.C., office were unsuccessful.
“The nine objections were all Republicans from the 22-member committee. Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Thom Tillis also passed on the committee vote, according to Leahy’s senior spokesman, David Carle. …
“Robinson is a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1986 and the University of Chicago Law School in 1989. She spent the beginning part of her legal career defending workers’ rights and advancing discrimination cases, Leahy said. He said she successfully litigated the landmark decision of Baker v. Vermont, which led to Vermont becoming the first state to enact civil unions in the country.
“Her tireless advocacy served as a blueprint for LGBTQ advocacy across the country. It is no exaggeration to say that Justice Robinson changed the trajectory of LGBTQ rights in this country, and bent the arc of our nation’s history toward justice,” Leahy said.
Read the complete Rutland Herald story here.
Not a subscriber? Sign up today for a free subscription to Boston Spirit magazine, New England’s premier LGBT magazine. We will send you a copy of Boston Spirit 6 times per year and we never sell/rent our subscriber information. Click HERE to sign up!
