HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Leilani Lujan has become the first woman of CHamoru descent to serve as the federal public defender.
The U.S. District Court of Guam announced Wednesday in a press release that the “historic occasion” of Lujan being sworn in is a first for Guam “as well as in the nation.”
Lujan, who has served as an assistant federal public defender for the past decade, was appointed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to fill the vacancy left by her predecessor, John Gorman, who announced his retirement last year.
At the time, Gorman told The Guam Daily Post he felt, despite his departure, he was “leaving the office in very good and capable hands.”
In light of Lujan’s private swearing-in at the federal court, Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood said there was “little doubt” Lujan would meet the “challenges and responsibilities of this appointment.”
“Ms. Lujan is a zealous advocate who always represents her client to the best of her razor-honed abilities. Not only is she a skilled attorney, but she genuinely respects and has compassion for those she serves. There is little doubt Ms. Lujan will continue her legacy of public service in meeting the challenges and responsibilities of this appointment,” Tydingco-Gatewood stated in the release.
The release added a public and more formal swearing-in ceremony will be held in January 2024.
