(CNN) President-elect Joe Biden's transition team has sent a letter to Democratic senators seeking their recommendations for district court vacancies, a transition official confirmed to CNN. The letter, penned by incoming White House counsel Dana Remus, asks senators to provide diverse names based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, veteran status and disability. Remus requested that all recommendations be sent "as soon as possible and not later than January 19, 2020," indicating that Biden intends to prioritize filling vacant seats upon assuming office. "Joe Biden proudly championed the historic confirmations of Justices Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan, and reshaped the Senate Judiciary Committee to reflect the diversity and breadth of America," transition spokesman Jamal Brown said in a statement. "As president, he will nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, and appoint judges who share his commitment to the rule of law, and upholding individual civil rights and civil liberties."

Source: CNN December 31, 2020 00:33 UTC