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On Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Nancy Abudu to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit making her the first Black woman appointed as a judge to the circuit court.
Abudu was confirmed on a 49-47 vote after almost a year-long wait and major criticism from Republicans. The GOP were perturbed by the experienced civil rights lawyer because of her recent work with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), where she served as the interim director for strategic litigation and deputy legal director.
Abudu is credited for establishing the SPLC voting rights practice group. The voting rights practice group specifically works to help communities in the Deep South fight against discriminatory voting policies and disenfranchisement of voters.
Throughout Abudu’s career she has litigated and debated numerous civil rights cases that challenged issues affecting communities of color and disenfranchised people. She has challenged state felon disenfranchisement laws and voter photo ID laws affecting the ability of people to vote without restriction.
Abudu will also become the second woman of color and third woman from Georgia to serve on the 11th circuit.
Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center and SPLC Action Fund, offered her praise and congratulations to Abudu’s appointment.
“Today’s historic Senate confirmation of Nancy Abudu to the 11th Circuit affirms what we have always known — that Nancy is an extraordinarily qualified and experienced jurist who is committed to the U.S. Constitution and upholding the fundamental rights of all people,” Huang said. “She has a brilliant legal mind and will bring the fairness and intellectual rigor this judgeship demands.”
