“Only when the judiciary reflects the community will it gain legitimacy and trust from the people who appear before it.” Jasmine Yoon, the first Asian American in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s history to be appointed as a federal judge, made these remarks at an Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) Heritage Month event on the morning of May 23 at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.
Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, and Congressman Bobby Scott, all Democrats from Virginia, hosted the event to recognize AANHPI on Capitol Hill. Yoon, who the U.S. Senate confirmed in March to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, will begin her term in July.
A native of Ulsan, South Korea, Yoon immigrated to Maryland at age 14. She graduated with top honors from the University of Virginia’s School of Law and later practiced law at a local firm. For her pro bono work on behalf of immigrants and victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, she was awarded the firm’s Pro Bono Attorney of the Year award.
She then worked for six years as an Assistant United States Attorney at the Eastern District of Virginia, investigating and prosecuting over 80 financial crimes and public corruption cases. From 2022 until recently, she was the Vice President for Corporate Integrity, Ethics, and Investigations at Capital One Financial Corporation. Yoon’s husband, Christopher Kavanaugh, is a U.S. Western District Attorney, the government’s leading criminal prosecutor in the Western District of Virginia.
President Joe Biden nominated Yoon in January at the recommendation of Senators Warner and Kaine, who opened the event. “Yoon went to college and studied law within a few years, despite not speaking English before immigrating to the United States, and her colleagues give her ‘five stars’ everywhere she works,” Senator Kaine said. “We were thrilled when the Senate confirmed Yoon. She received bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans. That doesn’t happen very often.”
“I never imagined I would be standing here today, but I look forward to serving in this role,” Yoon said. “I will wear the heavy title of Virginia’s first Asian American federal judge with pride and gratitude.”
Virginia has a growing Asian population. However, the Western District of Virginia has had all white male judges except one white female judge. Yoon’s appointment is symbolic for the Asian community.
Senator Warner said, “The AANHPI community is growing fastest in Virginia. With over 700,000 members, they are making Virginia stronger.”
