Washington - US President Joe Biden has nominated prominent Columbia lawyer Jamie L. Harpootlian to be ambassador to Slovenia. She is the wife of South Carolina Senator, Democrat Dick Harpootlian.

In an announcement on Wednesday, the White House said Harpootlian is an accomplished attorney, currently serving as counsel to the law firm of Richard A. Harpootlian, P.A., where she advises on a broad range of federal litigation matters.

Previously, Harpootlian served as a court-appointed special master to facilitate case resolution in complex, mass disaster class actions.

The Department of Justice appointed Harpootlian to serve as a hearing officer on the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 on behalf of the Special Master Kenneth Feinberg.

Before that, Harpootlian served 17 years as a career judicial law clerk in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans.

Harpootlian is also a leader and patron of non-profit groups supporting the environment, the arts, and historic resources, reads the White House announcement.

She earned a B.A. in political science and art history from Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, Virginia in 1981 and a Juris Doctor degree from Tulane University Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana in 1984.

Harpootlian's husband, Dick Harpootlian, is a long-term political ally of Biden. The couple also contributed funds for the Biden presidential campaign. They hosted a fundraiser for the Biden campaign at their home in 2019.

In a statement for the local media, the senator said he did not plan to give up his seat in the Senate to accompany his wife to Slovenia.

As ambassador to Slovenia Jamie L. Harpootlian will succeed Lynda Blanchard, who tendered her resignation after Donald Trump lost to Biden in last year's presidential election.

Blanchard left Slovenia in January this year, after which she announced her bid to run for Alabama senator.