“He has the experience, qualifications and integrity to serve with distinction on the federal bench. Mr. Shah's nomination is also a historic one. Upon confirmation, he will be the first Article III judge of South Asian descent to serve in the state of Illinois. In short, Mr. Shah is an excellent nominee and I hope my colleagues will join me in voting to confirm him,” Mr. Durbin said.
Mr. Shah has won numerous awards and recognitions for his work in the U.S. Attorney's Office, including the FBI Director's Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation.
He is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Chicago Law School. He clerked for two years for Judge James Zagel of the Northern District of Illinois.
Mr. Shah appeared before the Judiciary Committee last November. He was reported out of the Judiciary Committee on January 16 by a unanimous voice vote.
“Mr. Shah's confirmation as the first South Asian American federal judge in Illinois represents another significant milestone for our community. We look forward to his service on the bench and applaud the President and the U.S. Senate for nominating and confirming him,” said Tejas Shah, President of Indian-American Bar Association.
“Manish Shah's unanimous confirmation demonstrates, yet again, what an extraordinary pool of talent we have in our community,” said Nadeem Bezar, president of South Asian Bar Association North America.
