In the final days of his presidency, Biden has made good on a campaign promise to diversify the federal judiciary, by appointing a record-breaking 40 Black women as judges. All together, Biden appointed 62 Black judges.

Lena Zwarensteyn, who studies legal issues at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Humans Rights, said the move also signals a very specific ideological intent on the part of the president. Biden populated the bench with Black judges who may often be on the front lines of weighing some of the most significant issues facing the Black community, including health care access, equity in education, fair hiring practices, abortion, and voting rights.