President Biden nominates Phoenix election attorney to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

Roopali Desai has been at the center of virtually every major election case in Arizona in recent years representing various arms of the Democratic Party, Democratic candidates and left-leaning interest groups.

PHOENIX - President Joe Biden has nominated a prominent Arizona election attorney to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The president announced the nomination of Roopali Desai on June 15.

Desai has been at the center of virtually every major election case in Arizona in recent years representing various arms of the Democratic Party, Democratic candidates and left-leaning interest groups.

She also represented Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in cases filed by supporters of former President Donald Trump challenging the 2020 election results.

Desai is a partner at the Phoenix firm Coppersmith Brockelman and has practiced law there since 2007. She worked briefly as an associate at Lewis & Roca and was a law clerk for then-Chief Judge Mary Schroeder of the 9th Circuit. She has bachelors, masters in public health and law degrees from the University of Arizona.