By Theodore Bunker   |   Wednesday, 07 Sep 2016

President Barack Obama nominated a Muslim lawyer to serve as a U.S. District Court judge, the White House announced Tuesday, which if he is confirmed would make him the first federal jurist who practices the Islamic faith.

Abid Riaz Qureshi is a graduate of Cornell University and Harvard Law School and has spent his legal career with Latham & Watkins LLP in Washington. He is a specialist in healthcare fraud, securities law and False Claims Act cases. He currently heads the firm's Pro Bono Committee, and serves on the Legal Ethics Committee of the District of Columbia Bar Association.

"I am pleased to nominate Mr. Qureshi to serve on the United States District Court bench," Obama said in the announcement. "I am confident he will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice."

Several American Muslim groups celebrated the nomination of the Pakistani immigrant, which Law.com predicted in June.

"The nomination of Abid Qureshi to fill a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia sends a message of inclusion that is welcomed by the American Muslim community and by all Americans who value diversity and mutual respect at a time when some seek division and discord," Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said in a statement to NBC News.

Although there are Muslim state judges, there are none on the federal bench or in appellate courts, Muslim Advocates, a nationwide legal advocacy group, told NBC.

"A judiciary that reflects the rich diversity of our nation helps ensure the fair and just administration of the law, and it is vital for American Muslims to be included," Farhana Khera, Muslim Advocates executive director and former counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, told NBC in a statement. "Mr. Qureshi's profound commitment to the rule of law and justice for people of all backgrounds makes him an exceptional nominee."