Zahid Quraishi | Muslim judge on a federal bench in the US

Name: Zahid Quraishi

• Birth: Zahid Quraishi was born in 1975 in New York City.
• Father: His father is Dr. Nisar A. Quraishi.
• Education: Zahid Quraishi obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Zahid Quraishi, a Pakistani-American, has made history by becoming the first Muslim judge to serve on a federal bench in the United States, a position just below the nation’s highest court.

Nominated by President Biden and subsequently confirmed by the US Senate last year, Quraishi’s appointment marks a significant milestone in American judicial history. Despite the groundbreaking nature of his nomination, Quraishi expressed humility, stating, “Candidly, I would prefer to be the hundredth, if not the thousandth.”

Hailing from New Jersey, Quraishi garnered global attention as one of the first judicial nominations made by President Biden, signaling a departure from the previous administration’s conservative-leaning judicial appointments. Prior to his historic appointment, Quraishi served as a magistrate judge for three years, having been appointed to the role in 2019 in the District of New Jersey.

Of Pakistani descent, Quraishi earned his law degree from Rutgers Law School, where he also served as an adjunct professor.