President Biden announces key appointments including that of Indian American  

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President Biden announced the names of several individuals he is appointing to serve in key roles in his administration November 15, 2023. Among them is Indian American Shakuntla L. Bhaya who Biden appointed as member of the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States (acus.gov).

The ACUS is an independent federal agency charged with convening expert representatives from the public and private sectors to recommend improvements to administrative process and procedure. ACUS initiatives promote efficiency, participation, and fairness in the promulgation of federal regulations and in the administration of federal programs, the website of the agency said.

Bhaya is a co-owner of a statewide Delaware law firm, Law Offices of Doroshow, Pasquale, Krawitz & Bhaya. She is the first South Asian Indian to be admitted to the Delaware Bar Association, the White House said in its press release.

Her practice focuses on representing individuals who are seriously injured as a result of businesses and people making unsafe decisions.

For the past seven years, Bhaya has been a member of Delaware Governor John Carney’s Judicial Nominating Commission.

According to her biography on the Governor’s website, Bhaya started her legal career litigating in Family Court. She now focuses on litigating personal injury cases in Superior Court and in the Court of Common Pleas.

In 2017 and 2018 she served as a member of the Supreme Court’s Judicial Improvement Committee which was charged with reviewing all the Courts procedures and developing recommendations for reform that provided a path for efficient resolution of citizens’ disputes.

Bhaya is a member of numerous important boards, and is past president of the Delaware Trial Lawyers Association and serves as a member of the Randy J. Holland inn of court, Delaware Trial Lawyers Board of Governors, American Constitution Society, American Association for Justice, American Civil Liberties Union, and the Delaware State Bar Association.

In addition to practicing law, Bhaya is very involved in Delaware politics, the White House noted.

She is currently a member of the Delaware Democratic Party’s State Executive Committee. Bhaya, past President of the Delaware Trial Lawyers Association, continues to be involved in protecting consumers’ 7^th Amendment Right to a jury trial and access to courts.

She is also a member of the American Association for Justice and American Civil Liberties Union, and is actively involved in helping pro-choice democratic women become elected to office.

Bhaya was actively involved in fighting for rights for the LGBTQ+ community and helping members of her community to adopt children, seek legal redress when discriminated in the workplace, and permit people to marry.

A graduate of Northeastern University School of Law, Bhaya continues to work towards diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession and in politics, the White House said.