Amul Thapar becomes second South Asian judge in the US

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NEW YORK – Judge Amul Thapar was confirmed to the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals by a 52-44 vote.

The South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA) congratulated Thapar at becoming the second South Asian judge to be on a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

“On behalf of SABA, I congratulate Judge Thapar who is a proven asset to the federal judiciary, the people of the commonwealth of Kentucky whom he’s served for almost a decade, and the South Asian legal community,” said President Vichal Kumar.

“Judge Thapar’s confirmation further cements his legacy as a pioneer, esteemed jurist and dedicated public servant. We anticipate that Judge Thapar’s renowned dedication to his craft and commendable judicial temperament will serve him well in this integral position,” he added.

Judge Thapar ascended to the bench in 2008, after being nominated by President George W. Bush for the United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Prior to joining the bench, Judge Thapar served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky from 2006 to 2007 and during that period, Judge Thapar was appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (“AGAC”) and chaired the AGAC’s Controlled Substances and Asset Forfeiture subcommittee.

He also served on the Terrorism and National Security subcommittee, the Violent Crime subcommittee, and Child Exploitation working group.

In the past, Judge Thapar also worked for the law firms in Washington, D.C., Squire and Cincinnati, Ohio, and served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in both the Southern District of Ohio and the District of Columbia.

Between 1994 and 1997, Judge Thapar served as a law clerk to the Honorable S. Arthur Spiegel, who sits on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and the Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones, who sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Judge Thapar is a member of SABA’s National Advisory Council, and has served as a keynote for the Annual Convention and for many of our chapters.  SABA awarded him it’s Pioneer Award in 2010.

He has also taught at the University of Virginia, School of Law; Vanderbilt Law School and the Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law.  Judge Thapar received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.