Biden Taps Openly LGBTQ Attorney As Top Federal Prosecutor For The Philly Region

By Jason Villemez, Special to the Capital-Star, Pennsylvania Capital-Star

April 26, 2022

Jacqueline C. Romero, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and former At-Large Board member of the Philadelphia LGBTQ Bar Association, has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Romero, 51, is one of five nominees for U.S. Attorney positions put forth by Biden last week.

“These individuals were chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, their experience and credentials in this field, their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all and their commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice,” the White House said in a statement.

Romero’s nomination now heads to the U.S. Senate, where it must clear the Judiciary Committee before receiving a full Senate vote. If confirmed, Romero would be the first woman of color to serve in the post, and she would oversee 140 attorneys that handle federal prosecutions in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties.

Romero has worked as Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2006, where she specializes in fraud investigations and civil rights investigations. She has also served as the Civil Rights Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania since 2015, and she is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Temple University and a faculty member with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. In addition to her role with the Philadelphia LGBTQ Bar Association, Romero is a past president of the Hispanic Bar Association of Philadelphia. She received her B.A. from The College of New Jersey and her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law.

When asked about the nomination, Romero told Al Dia that she was “honored to be nominated.”

Jason Villemez is the editor of the Philadelphia Gay News, where this story first appeared.

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