In 1998, an Asian woman first joined the ranks of federal judges with lifetime appointments. It took ten years for the second Asian woman to be appointed. Since then, however, over a dozen more Asian women have received lifetime federal judicial appointments.
 
This book tells the stories of the first fifteen. In the process, it recounts remarkable tales of Asian women overcoming adversity and achieving the American dream, despite being the daughters of a Chinese garment worker, Japanese Americans held in internment camps during World War II, Vietnamese refugees, and penniless Indian immigrants. Yet The First Fifteen also explores how far Asian Americans and women still have to go before the federal judiciary reflects America as a whole. 
 
In a candid series of interviews, these judges reflect upon the personal and professional experiences that led them to this distinguished position, as well as the nerve-wracking political process of being nominated and confirmed for an Article III judgeship. By sharing their diverse stories, The First Fifteen paints a nuanced portrait of how Asian American women are beginning to have a voice in determining American justice.

— Karen K. Narasaki, civil and human rights leader and former Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

— Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret), Executive Director, Berkeley Judicial Institute, Berkeley Law School and Former Director, Federal Judicial Center

— Meera Deo, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School, and author of Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Legal Academia

— Duke Law: Bolch Judicial Institute

— Karen K. Narasaki, civil and human rights leader and former Commissioner on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

— Hon. Jeremy Fogel (ret), Executive Director, Berkeley Judicial Institute, Berkeley Law School and Former Director, Federal Ju

— Meera Deo, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School, and author of Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Lega

— Duke Law: Bolch Judicial Institute