Virginia welcomes its first Korean-American Federal Judge.
On March 12, the U.S. Senate confirmed Jasmine H. Yoon as a United States District Court Judge for the Western District of Virginia. Yoon will be the first Asian-American to serve as a federal court judge in the history of Virginia.
“We’re thrilled the Senate voted to confirm Jasmine Yoon to the federal judiciary. She has a remarkable track record and a profound commitment to public service,” said U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA). Starting this July, Judge Yoon will occupy the seat vacated by the retirement of Judge Michael Urbanski.
President Joe Biden nominated Yoon for the federal judgeship in January.
Yoon, who received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2006, served as Vice President of Corporate Integrity, Ethics, and Investigations at Capital One before her nomination. At the time of her nomination, the White House highlighted that Yoon, one of the first six federal judicial nominees, is “extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.”
Judge Yoon was born in Ulsan, South Korea, and immigrated with her family to Maryland during her eighth-grade year.
After earning her degree from the University of Virginia, Yoon spent six years in her late 20s working as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. During this period, she prosecuted over 80 financial crimes and public corruption cases.
Judge Yoon is the second of two daughters. Her husband, Christopher R. Kavanaugh, is also an attorney, serving as a chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Virginia. Renowned for her pro bono work, Judge Yoon has passionately advocated on behalf of immigrants and victims of domestic violence.
BY YEOL JANG, JUNHAN PARK [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
