President Joe Biden has nominated Adeel Mangi, a litigator frequently named to national top trial lawyers lists, to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Mangi would be the first Muslim-American to serve as a federal appellate court judge if he is confirmed, writes New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who praised Biden’s choice as “outstanding,” and drew attention to the “historic nature” of the nomination.
[The first Muslim on a federal appeals court, Mangi would be just the third Muslim “to ever serve on our federal bench,” New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez said, vowing support for Mangi’s nomination.]
.@POTUS’s decision to nominate Adeel Mangi to a New Jersey-based seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is an outstanding choice.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) November 15, 2023
Upon confirmation, Adeel will become the first Muslim-American to serve on a federal circuit court of appeals in U.S. history. pic.twitter.com/TB43U1JEHS
Murphy thanked Biden and “our U.S. Senators for their unwavering commitment to fill our federal court vacancies with exceptional attorneys who reflect the rich diversity of our state.”
The Third Circuit Court is in Philadelphia, and concerns Murphy as it covers Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Virgin Islands. New Jersey has four of 14 seats on the Third Circuit — Mangi would replace Judge Joseph Greenaway, Jr., who retired in June.
Today, the Biden Administration nominated Adeel Mangi, a former board member of the National LGBTQ+ Bar and a longtime ally of the LGBTQ+ community, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. pic.twitter.com/Aln3rowo2a
— LGBTQ+ Bar (@LGBTQBar) November 15, 2023
Born in Pakistan, Mangi, 46, is a partner at Patterson Belknap, where in May of 2022 he won a case in which a jury “awarded our client, Appian Corporation, $2.036 billion in damages from Pegasystems Inc. for trade secret misappropriation following a seven-week trial,” according to the firm’s press release.
How payments to the firm and Mangi were structured isn’t public information, but a customary contingency fee in complex corporate litigation can be 33-40%, which indicates that Mangi may enter his judicial appointment, once confirmed, virtually free of any financial concerns. In 2023, circuit judges earned salaries of $246,600 per year.
