U.S. District Judge Richard Paez was nominated to the 9th Circuit in January 1996. The Senate has yet to vote on his confirmation. Los Angeles appellate lawyer Marsha Berzon was tapped in January 1998. She, too, has yet to receive a vote. Paez has been held up in large part because he once directed the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and did public interest law with California Rural Legal Assistance.
Many male nominees have a background almost entirely in corporate law.
Women and minorities are more likely to have a background in public service. But there are senators trying to block the confirmation of anybody with that kind of background. All we have said is have the decency to give these people a floor vote. Seven judgeships on the 9th Circuit are vacant. The court faces a major backlog of cases.