Blumenthal & Murphy Applaud Senate Confirmation of Justice Maria Araújo Kahn to Second Circuit Court of Appeals
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) applauded the Senate’s confirmation of Justice Maria Araújo Kahn to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Kahn’s nomination was approved in a bipartisan 51-42 vote.
“Maria Kahn epitomizes public service,” said Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “She’s the real deal—with unexcelled breadth of experience—and will bring to the federal bench truly extraordinary expertise and intellect. Dedicated to opening the courthouse doors to underserved communities, she also has qualities of compassion and empathy which so deeply impressed me and my Senate colleagues. She’s an exceptional jurist and human being.”
“Justice Kahn spent the last five years serving on our state Supreme Court and a lifetime committed to public service. She’s one of Connecticut’s most respected jurists and will bring a depth of legal experience to this new role. I was proud to vote to confirm her as a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit,” said Murphy.
The Second Circuit is one of thirteen appeals courts across the country and exercises appellate jurisdiction over federal district courts within Connecticut, New York, and Vermont. While Kahn was previously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in December, nominations not confirmed by the end of the Congress must be returned to the White House. President Biden resubmitted Kahn’s nomination on January 3, 2023 at the beginning of the 118th Congress.
Maria Araújo Kahn has served as an Associate Justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court since November 2017. Prior to that, Justice Kahn served as a judge on both the Appellate and Superior Courts, as an Assistant United States Attorney, as a Deputy Assistant Public Defender for the State of Connecticut, and as a Staff Attorney in the Connecticut Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities. During her time as a public defender, Justice Kahn represented indigent children in delinquency proceedings. As a Staff Attorney in the Office of Protection and Advocacy, Justice Kahn litigated civil rights cases on behalf of individuals with disabilities. As a federal prosecutor, Justice Kahn handled civil and criminal white collar investigations with a focus on health care fraud, bank fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and trade secrets.
Born in Angola and fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese, Justice Kahn immigrated to the United States when she was ten years old, attended New York University for her undergraduate degree and completed her legal education at the Fordham University School of Law. Justice Kahn is a former law clerk for the Honorable Peter C. Dorsey of the U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Connecticut and currently serves as co-chair of the Judicial Branch’s Access to Justice Commission and the Limited English Proficiency Committee. Justice Kahn has also taught several courses at the Connecticut Judges’ Institute and is a James W. Cooper Fellow with the Connecticut Bar Foundation.
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