First Arab-American Muslim Woman Argues at U.S. High Court (1)

(BLOOMBERG LAW) Fadwa Hammoud was the first Arab-American Muslim woman to argue at the U.S. Supreme Court when she took the lectern on Tuesday in Washington.

The goal, she said, is to not be the last.

“When we talk about the Supreme Court bar, it’s a mirror looking down at the entire legal profession,” Michigan’s solicitor general said in a phone interview last week. “We collectively lose when our Supreme Court bar is not as diverse as our nation.”

Hammoud was already in Washington and in what she called “quarantine mode.” As if lawyers prepping for high-court disputes don’t have enough to think about, this term they’ll also need to test negative for Covid-19 ahead of arguments or be forced to argue over the phone.

The justices returned to the courtroom for the new term this week after hearing appeals remotely due to the pandemic. Attendance is limited to select press and court personnel. Justice Brett Kavanaugh tested positive last week and he’ll participate from home this week.