National Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Liu Nomination to California Supreme Court

Washington, D.C. – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the nomination of UC Berkeley School of Law professor Goodwin Liu to a seat on the Supreme Court of California:

“Goodwin Liu will make an exceptional justice on the California Supreme Court. Liu’s stellar background, his intellectual honesty and independence, and his utmost respect for the Constitution and its values all make him an outstanding choice to join the highest court in our nation’s most populous state.

We’re confident that, if confirmed, Liu will demonstrate the wisdom, brilliance and fair-mindedness that have made him a legal superstar in both private practice and academia, including at the prestigious UC Berkeley School of Law, where he earned tenure and was promoted to Associate Dean within five years of joining the faculty. In fact, based on Liu’s record of excellence and his broad bipartisan support, President Obama nominated him to the Ninth Circuit. Unfortunately, he withdrew his nomination after a minority of senators unfairly blocked an up-or-down confirmation vote

Governor Brown is to be commended for nominating Liu and for considering a diverse roster of potential candidates to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Justice Carlos Moreno. The process that the governor used is in keeping with his long history of commitment to diversity on the bench, which includes the appointments of the first African-American, Latino, and woman to the state Supreme Court.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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