Maryland labor attorney becomes first openly gay judge on 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Maryland labor lawyer is set to become the first openly gay judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after winning final confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Nicole Berner was nominated by President Joe Biden in November and was confirmed Tuesday by a 50-47 vote in the Senate. Berner most recently worked as the general counsel for the Service Employees International Union and previously worked as a staff attorney for Planned Parenthood. The 4th Circuit is based in Richmond, Virginia, and decides appeals from federal courts in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.