Grand Canyon Times

President Joe Biden has nominated Arizona attorney Roopali Desai to fill the vacant seat on the 9th District U.S. Court of Appeals.

Desai has represented Democrats in a number of cases and served as Sen. Krysten Sinema’s campaign attorney, a recent AZCentral report said. 

Sinema also advocated for Desai’s nomination.

“I have known Roopali for over 10 years,” Sinema said in a statement to The Arizona Republic, quoted by AZCentral. “In that time, I have seen her deep respect and understanding of the law up close. She is a trusted legal expert highly regarded across the political spectrum in Arizona, known for her integrity and fairness.”

Desai must first be confirmed by the Senate, which could pose challenging questions; Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, said in the report.

"I think she’ll do fine in the hearing and I think she'll go through," he said. “She seems very well qualified. Her litigation experience shows why she could be a fine judge. She's been in the middle of those kind of critical issues that federal courts resolve."

Republican strategist Kirk Adams, a former chief of staff for Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, spoke highly of Desai.

“The most you can hope for from an opponent working against you is that they are fair,” Adams told The Republic. “I think that describes Roopali. Even when she’s an opponent, she’s fair.”

Sen. Mark Kelly also advocated for Desai’s nomination.

“Roopali is a respected and well regarded legal expert in Arizona,” Kelly said in a statement. “I congratulate her on this historic nomination and appreciate the administration’s process to elevate talented and experienced Arizonans to the federal bench.”