Senate confirms abortion rights advocate Julie Rikelman as federal judge despite Republican opposition

Julie Rikelman is a prominent attorney representing abortion rights.
Rikelman argued some of the most consequential abortion-related Supreme Court cases of the last decade.
Rikelman's appointment is an important symbolic win for abortion rights advocates, though she is unlikely to directly impact abortion law as a judge.
Republicans opposed Rikelman's nomination due to her strong support for abortion rights.
Rikelman is the Biden administration's third nominee to secure a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, tilting the court further left.