In a first, US President Joe Biden has nominated Zahid Quraishi as the first Muslim federal judge to a US District Court.

On Tuesday, President Biden released his first slate of 11 federal judicial nominations including nine women of diverse backgrounds. These included several Black candidates and an Asian American. No Black woman has yet served on the nine-justice high court.

The list also included Quraishi, a New Jersey magistrate judge, who if confirmed would be US's first Muslim American to serve on a federal district court.

"Each is deeply qualified and prepared to deliver justice faithfully under our Constitution and impartially to the American people – and together they represent the broad diversity of background, experience, and perspective that makes our nation strong," Biden said.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has congratulated Quraishi for his nomination. "With these historic nominations, the US president is proving his commitment to ensuring that our bench is more diverse," the governor tweeted.