Civil Rights Coalition Urges Confirmation of Caitlin Halligan to D.C. Circuit Court

Washington, D.C. – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued this statement in advance of the expected Senate floor vote on  Caitlin Halligan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which is operating at less than three-quarters capacity as a result of judicial vacancies:

“Caitlin Halligan will make an impartial, thoughtful, and highly-respected addition to the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The Leadership Conference urges the Senate to confirm her without delay.

The D.C. Circuit hears among the most complex cases in the country, cases that involve complicated federal regulations and key national civil rights, liberties, and security issues. We in the civil rights community are beyond frustrated that someone with Ms. Halligan’s impeccable credentials and qualifications would have any opposition at all to being confirmed to a court with such a desperate need for the legal expertise she brings.

If her nomination is blocked, it would be a game changer for judicial nominations. It would set an impossibly high standard for future nominees and a new precedent in judicial obstruction.

The seat to which Ms. Halligan has been appointed is one of many judicial vacancies across the nation that needs to be filled so that the judiciary can function effectively to deliver justice. Let’s not hamstring our courts by denying yet another highly qualified nominee the chance to serve her country.”

Nancy Zirkin is executive vice president 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.