The Senate considered President Joe Biden’s nomination of Nancy G. Abudu to serve as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. The 11th Circuit is one of the nation’s most powerful courts, with jurisdiction over Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Federal judges serve for life and the laws that protect our environment and democracy need judges who will uphold and enforce them. Abudu is one of the nation’s leading experts on the fundamental right to vote. Prior to her judicial service, she held senior positions at the Southern Poverty Law Center and American Civil Liberties Union, where she fought numerous forms of voter suppression targeting people of color, people with disabilities, low-income people, pre-trial detainees, people who had completed their felony sentences, and more. Beyond her exemplary professional qualifications, Abudu is the first Black woman and first Black Georgian to serve on the 11th Circuit. These historic firsts are long overdue given that nearly 23% of 11th Circuit residents and 33% of Georgia residents are Black. On May 18, the Senate confirmed Abudu to be a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit by a vote of 49-47 (Senate roll call vote 132).