This line of inquiry is problematic for many reasons. For one, it is the modern equivalent of the popular, last-century version of asking a Catholic politician, on the verge of taking public office, whether he or she will pledge "loyalty to the pope or the constitution".
When Mr Biden announced he would nominate Mr Quraishi, it was presented as an effort to ensure that the federal judiciary reflected the “full diversity of the American people”.
Mr Quraishi's career shows him to be a deeply established figure: 21 years as a federal prosecutor and as a defence attorney and a US military officer. Yet, Senator Dick Durbin felt the need to ask Mr Quraishi about "Sharia law", even though he said he was "almost embarrassed" to do, but felt he had to because it was likely to "come up at some point". Senator Durbin may have meant well, but the question just shows how deep-seated some problems still are.