The United States Senate confirmed Judge Ramon Reyes as the newest federal district court judge in Brooklyn in a 51-48 vote on Wednesday, reports Reuters. Reyes joins the District Court for the Eastern District of New York in a lifetime appointment.
Reyes was elevated from his position as a U.S. magistrate judge, which he held since 2006. Prior to becoming a magistrate judge, Reyes worked as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan and as an associate at O'Melveny & Myers law firm. He also served as a legislative attorney for the New York City Council.
Reyes is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Brooklyn Law School. He is a past president of the Federal Magistrate Judges Association. As a magistrate judge, Reyes helped develop a case management system to resolve approximately 1,500 insurance cases related to Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Reyes will be only the second Latin American man on the Eastern District of New York's trial court bench. His confirmation marks President Joseph Biden's 150th federal judicial appointment and adds to the president's record of appointing diverse judges.
Of Biden's 151 confirmed nominees, 100 are women and 99 are people of color, a demographic that includes the Puerto Rico-born Reyes. He will be only the second Latin American man on the Eastern District of New York's trial court bench.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated Reyes on X (formerly Twitter) as a “proud son of Puerto Rico.”
