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Obama Court Pick Would Make History

Vietnamese-American woman nominated for US appellate court

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 24, 2011 11:39 AM CDT

(Newser) – Jacqueline Nguyen fled her native Vietnam as a young girl during the fall of Saigon, and she may soon make history as the first Vietnamese-American to serve on a federal appellate court. President Obama has nominated "trailblazer" Jacqueline Nguyen to serve on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, reports McClatchy Newspapers. She already is the first Vietnamese-American woman to serve as a federal judge, notes the Los Angeles Times, which has a photo and more details on her background.

Given the current political climate, it's no slam dunk that she'll get Senate confirmation, writes McClatchy's Michael Doyle. Especially because the position is such a high-profile one. "I'd be surprised if the White House is consciously grooming her for a Supreme Court nomination, but she may end up as a top-tier candidate anyway," says one court watcher.

Jacqueline Nguyen would be the first Vietnamese-American on a federal appellate court. (Shutterstock)

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Obama Court Pick Would Make History

Vietnamese-American woman nominated for US appellate court

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