AFSCME’s Saunders: Sung, Koh confirmations ‘a major victory for our judicial system and for working people.’

WASHINGTON — AFSCME President Lee Saunders issued the following statement celebrating the Senate’s vote to confirm Jennifer Sung and Lucy Koh. Both Sung and Koh make history, respectively, as the first Asian American from Oregon and the first Korean American woman appointed to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:

“The confirmations of Jennifer Sung and Lucy Koh are a major victory for our judicial system and for working people. Sung, a former union organizer and labor lawyer, understands the challenges that working people face to make ends meet and has dedicated her career to ensuring that workers are treated fairly under the law. Koh brings with her years of experience from the Justice Department to the California judiciary and a steadfast commitment to upholding the rule of law, even when it means standing up to an administration.

“We applaud the Senate for voting to confirm these historic nominations. It is essential that our legal system reflect the diverse communities it serves. With Jennifer Sung and Lucy Koh on the federal bench, we are one step closer to achieving this goal.”