For Immediate Release:
October 27, 2021

NAPABA Celebrates the Historic Confirmation of Sarala Nagala to the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut

WASHINGTON- Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Sarala Nagala to the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. 

“NAPABA congratulates Sarala Nagala on her historic confirmation to become the first Asian American Article III district court judge in the state of Connecticut,” said A.B. Cruz III, president of NAPABA. “As deputy chief of the major crimes unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Judge Nagala has a strong record of protecting the most vulnerable through her work combatting human trafficking, child exploitation, and hate crimes. 

"Judge Nagala’s own compelling family history includes having doctor parents who immigrated from India and completed their medical residencies in North Dakota. They provided care for critically underserved areas, and this experience has inspired Judge Nagala’s strong commitment to justice and instilled in her a deep sense of personal responsibility to her community and a career dedicated to public service.”

With nearly a decade of experience as a federal prosecutor, Judge Nagala is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2015 Director’s Award for Superior Performance as a Criminal Assistant U.S. Attorney, and the 2018 District of Connecticut “Standing Tall” Award. A graduate of Stanford University and the University of California Berkeley School of Law, Judge Nagala clerked for Judge Susan P. Graber on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and worked at Munger Tolles & Olson prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.

Judge Nagala is endorsed by NAPABA’s affiliate, the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the sole association geared toward Asian Pacific American attorneys in the state.

NAPABA commends President Biden for nominating Judge Nagala to the bench and thanks Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy for their support of her nomination. Judge Nagala’s confirmation today increases the number of active AAPI Article III judges to 42 nationwide: 10 federal appellate court judges and 32 federal district court judges.

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of all backgrounds in the legal profession.