Obama nominates first ever Muslim-American federal judge

US President Barack Obama has nominated Muslim-American Abid Riaz Qureshi to serve as a federal judge - the first such judicial nomination, according to a Huffington Post report on Tuesday.

Qureshi will serve on the US District Court for the District of Columbia. He is currently a partner in the Washington DC office of Latham & Watkins LLP.

In a statement, Obama said he is pleased to nominate Qureshi to serve as federal judge. He says he is confident that the new federal judge will serve fellow Americans with steadfast commitment and honesty.

Qureshi's nomination has come in the middle of a presidential campaign in which Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said that federal judge of Muslim descent would not treat him justly.

Muslim Advocates hail Qureshi's nomination

Farhana Khera, the executive director of Muslim Advocates, an American legal advocacy and educational organisation, praised President Obama for taking this important step in continuing to pick the best and brightest from every community to serve the judiciary.

She said that a judiciary with "rich diversity of our nation" would help ensure fair and just administration of law. Khera added that Qureshi's strong commitment to justice for people of all backgrounds and rule of law makes him an exceptional nominee.

There's also a chance that Qureshi's nomination could advance in a lame duck Congress, the Huffington Post reported.

If Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton wins in November, she could very well re-nominate him to the same seat in 2017, the report added.