The U.S. Senate has unanimously confirmed key Obama nominee Srikant "Sri" Srinivasan to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The 46-year-old India-born solicitor won overwhelming support of 97-0 vote on Thursday. Earlier, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously ratified his nomination to one of the United States' most influential courts.
Srinivasan's confirmation was reportedly in doubt until Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in the last minute backed off his demand for delaying the vote until June 4.
Srinivasan will be the first South Asian American to serve as a circuit court judge in U.S. history.
Born in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, and raised in Lawrence, Kansas, Srinivasan spent nearly two decades as an extraordinary litigator before serving as Principal Deputy Solicitor-General of the United States.
A former lecturer at Harvard Law School, he is a likely front-runner for a Supreme Court nomination if a vacancy arises during Obama's term, U.S. media report.
In a statement on Thursday, President Barack Obama said "now he will serve with distinction on the federal bench." He described Srinivasan as "a trailblazer who personifies the best of America.
Applauding the Senate's action, Obama said: "It's important to remember that this confirmation is the first one to this important court in seven years." He reminded that "the three remaining vacancies must be filled, as well as other vacancies across the country."
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