President Trump nominates Indian-American as US district judge in Florida

President Donald Trump has nominated Indian-American Circuit Court Judge Anuraag Singhal as a federal judge in the US state of Florida.

Singhal is among the 17 judiciary nominations sent by the White House to the Senate. If confirmed by the Senate, Singhal would replace Judge James I. Cohn on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Singhal is the first Indian-American to be nominated to this position in Florida. His confirmation hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled for Wednesday.

Singhal, in his mid-50s, currently serves as a Circuit Court Judge for the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County, Florida, having been appointed to the bench by then-Governor Rick Scott in 2011.

Before his appointment, Singhal was in private practice in Fort Lauderdale where his practice focused on criminal defense in both the trial courts and courts of appeals, the White House said.

Early in his career, he served as a prosecutor in the Office of the State Attorney. Singhal earned his B.A. from Rice University and his Juris Doctor degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.

In July, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of South Florida backed Singhal's nomination to the federal district court of Southern Florida.

In a letter to Attorney General William Barr, said Singhal has consistently demonstrated his commitment to service and diversity through his involvement in the legal community, and that he was engaged with other legal and civic organisations to "improve the law, legal system, and the administration of justice."

Singhal's nomination comes days after president Trump nominated prominent Indian-American attorney Shireen Mathews as a judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of California.

If confirmed, Matthews will be the first Asian Pacific American woman and first Indian-American to serve as an Article III federal judge in the Southern District, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) said.