President Joe Biden plans to nominate Ayer District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to the US District Court for Massachusetts, the White House announced Wednesday.
Guzman would be the first Hispanic judge to serve on the Massachusetts court if she is confirmed, the White House said in a statement.
Guzman could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday. A hearing on her nomination will be held by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey praised Biden’s choice in a joint statement Wednesday, describing Guzman as a judge who has “fought for fairness and justice for the people of Massachusetts for decades” and will “serve as an exceptionally qualified and committed judge on the” US District Court for Massachusetts.
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“With roots as a public defender and deep expertise as a Massachusetts trial court judge, Judge Guzman has demonstrated a commitment to the people of the Commonwealth and a foundational understanding of our nation’s laws, legal precedent, and our fundamental rights as Americans,” Markey and Warren said in the statement. “She would be a proud addition to the court and a fierce defender of justice, and we are honored to support her nomination.”
Guzman was previously a judge for the Trial Court from 2009 to 2017 before moving to the district court in Ayer. She was a solo practitioner from 2005 to 2009 and served as a public defender with the Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services from 1992 to 2005, according to the White House statement.
Guzman earned a bachelor’s with honors from Clark University in 1989 and graduated from Boston University Law School in 1992, the statement said.
Guzman was among six new federal judicial nominees announced by the Biden administration on Wednesday. Biden also plans to nominate New York Assistant Attorney General Jorge Alberto Rodriguez, who would be the first Hispanic judge on the US District Court for the Northern District of New York if he is confirmed, the White House said.
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Guzman was recommended to Warren and Markey by the bipartisan Advisory Committee on Massachusetts Judicial Nominations, which is chaired by former US District Court Judge Nancy Gertner, the senators’ offices said.
Martin Healy, chief legal counsel and chief operating officer for the Massachusetts Bar Association, said Guzman “has always distinguished herself from her earliest days in practice and is held in high regard by her colleagues in the legal field and on the bench.”
“I’m not surprised they were impressed with her background and abilities,” Healy said in a telephone interview Wednesday, referring to the Biden administration.
Healy said it is important to increase diversity among judges at each level of the court system.
“Citizens come before the courts on a day-to-day basis from every cultural background and it’s important we see that reflected when we look at our justices here in the commonwealth,” he said. “It sends a strong message to the Hispanic community that the president has well acknowledged the importance of having someone of her background and strong legal acumen.”
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com. Follow him @NickStoico.