Attorney General Ellison urges confirmation of ‘highly qualified’ Adeel Mangi to federal appeals bench

Leads coalition of 11 AGs in advocating for Senate confirmation of Mangi, who would be the first Muslim to sit on a federal appeals court

Mangi received highest ranking from the ABA but is subject to campaign of anti-Muslim bias

April 19, 2024 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has led a coalition of 11 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Senate to confirm President Biden’s nomination of Adeel Mangi to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Mr. Mangi is a partner with Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, one of the country’s premier law firms, where he handles complex corporate matters and maintains a significant pro bono practice on behalf of underrepresented and vulnerable people and communities. He has broad support from the legal and law-enforcement communities and has been rated “well qualified” by the American Bar Association — its highest ranking for judicial nominees — for his integrity, judicial temperament, and competence.

If confirmed, Mr. Mangi would be the first Muslim American to sit on a federal appeals court, which Attorney General Ellison and the coalition write is “a long overdue milestone and one that we celebrate.”

“I’m proud to support Adeel Mangi for the federal appeals bench, both because he has every qualification to serve in this capacity, and because Americans’ trust in the judiciary rests in no small part on the bench looking like America and sharing Americans’ life experiences,” Attorney General Ellison said. “I am disappointed in the orchestrated and unfounded attacks on Mr. Mangi that are a threat to Americans’ trust in the judiciary and to our democracy. I urge every senator to judge Mr. Mangi fairly, reject the smear campaign against him, and vote to confirm him based on his eminent qualifications.”

In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Attorney General Ellison and the coalition of attorneys general that he led note that despite Mr. Mangi’s many qualifications, he is currently subject to “an orchestrated campaign of anti-Muslim bias” that includes “dangerous claims that he is antisemitic and anti-law enforcement.” At a time when hate against Muslim Americans is on the rise, “unfounded” attacks such as these are “unacceptable and should be rejected outright by those we elect to make important decisions such as who will serve on our federal judiciary.”

Attorney General Ellison and the coalition conclude their letter to Senate leadership by writing that “Mr. Mangi has repeatedly demonstrated that he possesses the fair-mindedness, commitment to equal justice for all, and temperament befitting of this position” and that “Mr. Mangi deserves to have his full record reviewed fairly.” They urge senators to be “on the right side of history.”

Joining Attorney General Ellison in the letter urging Mr. Mangi’s confirmation are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Vermont.