First Black woman to serve as a U.S. District Court judge in the Northern District
In a nation still measuring the distance between its founding ideals and its living institutions, President Biden has nominated two Indiana state judges — Cristal Brisco and Gretchen Lund — to fill vacancies on the federal bench in the Northern District. Brisco's nomination carries a particular historical resonance: if confirmed, she would become the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. District Court judge in that district. The nominations arrive as part of a deliberate effort to broaden the professional and demographic composition of the federal judiciary, and have drawn early bipartisan support — a rare alignment in an era of contested confirmations.
- Cristal Brisco stands at the threshold of history, poised to become the first Black woman on the U.S. District Court bench in Indiana's Northern District if the Senate confirms her.
- Both nominees bring years of state court experience — Brisco from St. Joseph County and Lund from Elkhart County — but federal judgeships require a separate, often contentious Senate confirmation gauntlet.
- The White House is framing these nominations as part of a pattern: four of the five judges announced that day were women, and three would be historic firsts in their respective courts.
- Republican Senator Todd Young's swift endorsement of both nominees signals an unusual moment of cross-party alignment, potentially smoothing a path that Senate confirmations rarely offer.
- Still, both women must clear Judiciary Committee hearings and a full Senate floor vote before the nominations become appointments — the finish line remains ahead.
President Biden nominated Cristal Brisco and Gretchen Lund to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, part of a broader slate of five federal judicial nominations announced on a Wednesday in November. Both women currently serve as Superior Court judges in their respective counties and will require Senate confirmation before taking their seats on the federal bench.
Brisco's nomination carries historic weight. A product of Gary, Indiana, she studied history at Valparaiso University before earning her law degree from Notre Dame in 2006. After years in private practice and public legal roles — including serving as Corporation Counsel for South Bend — she was appointed a magistrate judge in St. Joseph County in 2018 and elevated to Superior Court judge in 2021. If confirmed, she would be the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. District Court judge in the Northern District, a distinction she has spoken about in the context of her own upbringing and awareness of inequality.
Lund's career has followed an equally methodical arc. A Butler University and Valparaiso Law graduate, she clerked for the U.S. District Court in Indiana's Southern District before moving to the state bench. Since 2015, she has served as a Superior Court judge in Elkhart County, where she oversees the county's Drug Court and leads the state's Judicial Education Committee.
The White House noted that the day's nominations reflected a sustained commitment to diversifying the federal judiciary — four of the five nominees were women, and three would represent historic firsts. Republican Senator Todd Young offered prompt support for both Indiana nominees, calling them experienced and qualified jurists. That early bipartisan backing suggests the confirmation process may proceed with less friction than is typical, though both women still face committee hearings and a full Senate vote before assuming their new roles.
On Wednesday, President Biden put forward five names for federal judgeships, among them two women tapped to sit on the U.S. District Court bench in Indiana's Northern District. The move marks another step in what the White House frames as an effort to reshape the federal judiciary with greater professional and demographic range.
Cristal Brisco, a Superior Court judge in St. Joseph County, and Gretchen Lund, who holds the same rank in Elkhart County, will need Senate approval to take their seats. Brisco's nomination carries particular weight: she would become the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. District Court judge in the Northern District of Indiana. Both women have spent years on state benches and bring substantial legal backgrounds to the prospect of federal service.
Brisco grew up in Gary and has deep roots in the region. She earned her undergraduate degree from Valparaiso University in 2002, studying history, and went on to Notre Dame Law School, graduating in 2006. Early in her legal career, she worked as an associate at the law firm Barnes & Thornburg for seven years before shifting into public service. From 2013 to 2017, she served as Corporation Counsel for South Bend, then moved to a similar role at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame. In 2018, she was appointed a magistrate judge in St. Joseph County and advanced to Superior Court judge three years later. Since 2022, she has also sat on Indiana's Commercial Court. In a 2020 interview, Brisco reflected on her childhood in an urban setting, describing how awareness of inequality and the power of good education shaped her resilience—qualities she said she carries into her work today.
Lund's path to the bench has been equally deliberate. A 1998 graduate of Butler University, she earned her law degree from Valparaiso in 2001. She began her legal practice at Ice Miller, an Indianapolis firm, then clerked for the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Indiana from 2002 to 2006. She spent a year as a deputy prosecutor in Elkhart County before moving to the bench. Since 2008, she has served as a judge—first in Goshen City court for six years, then as a Superior Court judge in Elkhart County since 2015. In that role, she oversees the county's Drug Court and chairs the state court system's Judicial Education Committee. She also applied for an Indiana Supreme Court vacancy in 2022.
The White House emphasized that these nominations are part of a broader pattern. Among the five judges announced that day were four women, two nominees from a state represented by Republican senators, and three who would be historic firsts in their respective positions. White House counsel Ed Siskel framed the selections as evidence of the administration's commitment to diversifying the federal bench while maintaining working relationships across party lines.
Senator Todd Young, an Indiana Republican, offered swift support. In a statement, he called both Brisco and Lund experienced and qualified jurists who have served with distinction on state courts. He said he expected them to perform well on the federal bench and anticipated backing both through the confirmation process. That early bipartisan endorsement suggests the path forward may be smoother than confirmation battles often are, though both women will still need to clear Senate Judiciary Committee hearings and a full floor vote before taking office.
Notable Quotes
Judge Brisco and Judge Lund are experienced, qualified jurists who have served honorably in state superior courts. I fully expect them to excel on the federal bench.— Senator Todd Young
At an early age, I was keenly aware of the challenges and disparities that often exist in urban areas as well as the transformative power of high-quality education.— Cristal Brisco, in 2020 interview
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What makes Brisco's nomination historically significant beyond the obvious?
She's not just the first Black woman on this particular court—she's breaking a barrier that has existed for decades in a specific federal district. That matters because it signals something about who gets access to power in the judiciary, and it happens in a region where she's already embedded in the community.
Both judges come from state courts. Is that the typical pipeline to federal bench?
It's one path, yes, but not the only one. What's notable here is that both have spent substantial time actually sitting on benches, making decisions, building records. That's different from a lawyer who's been in private practice or government. They have a track record people can examine.
Lund oversees a Drug Court. Why mention that?
Because it shows she's engaged with the criminal justice system in a way that goes beyond routine docket management. Drug Courts are specialized, they require judges to understand addiction, rehabilitation, the intersection of law and public health. It's a signal about her judicial philosophy.
Senator Young's quick endorsement—is that unusual?
In this polarized moment, yes. Republican support for a Democratic president's judicial nominees isn't automatic. Young's statement suggests these candidates have credibility across the aisle, which typically means they're seen as competent and not ideologically extreme.
What happens next?
Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, likely in the coming months. Then a floor vote. Given Young's support and the fact that these are state judges with established records, the confirmation process should be less contentious than some others have been. But nothing is guaranteed until the votes are cast.