Maryland judge approved by US Senate, will be 4th Circuit Court of Appeals’ first openly LGBTQ+ member

The U.S. Senate voted, 50-47, on Tuesday to approve the nomination of Maryland labor lawyer Nicole G. Berner to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, making her the first openly LGBTQ+ judge on that court. The vote had been expected to be close. Her nomination had been narrowly approved, 11-10, on a party-line vote by the Judiciary Committee in January.