Biden nominates first American Muslim judge to federal appellate court

US President Joe Biden has nominated Adeel A. Mangi to serve as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which will make him the first Muslim to serve as a federal appellate court judge in the nation if he’s confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Mangi, 46, was born in Pakistan […]

US President Joe Biden has nominated Adeel A. Mangi to serve as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which will make him the first Muslim to serve as a federal appellate court judge in the nation if he’s confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Mangi, 46, was born in Pakistan and is a partner at a large New York law firm, Patterson Belknap, and lives in North Jersey.   He would replace Judge Joseph Greenaway, Jr., who retired in June.

He has the backing of the state’s two Democratic senators, Bob Menendez and Cory Booker.

Menendez pledged to push Senate colleagues to confirm him quickly.

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Mangi represented the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge in a 2016 religious freedom discrimination case after Bernards Township officials refused to permit the construction of a mosque. 

The case against Bernards was eventually settled for $3.25 million.   Mangi donated legal fees awarded to him to several charities, including a scholarship fund for Muslim law students.

After Bayonne rejected an application to build a mosque in that city, Mangi sued.  He won a $400,000 settlement and a permit.

The process to fill an open seat on the Third Circuit has been underway since Greenway announced his retirement plans in February. 

Mangi became one of five finalists for the seat on a list that included U.S. Magistrate Judge Jose Almonte, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Farbiarz, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna, and New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Fabiana Pierre-Louis.

Mangi won a $2 billion jury verdict last year in Virginia in a case involving the theft of software trade secrets, according to his law firm website.  (New Jersey Globe)