Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Advancement of Halligan D.C. Circuit Nomination to Senate Floor

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Washington, D.C. – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on today’s Senate Judiciary Committee vote to once again move the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to the severely understaffed U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Circuit) to the full Senate. Halligan was first nominated on September 29, 2010, 869 days ago:

“Today’s vote was an important step toward filling the severely understaffed D.C. Circuit bench with a qualified and thoughtful nominee.

The 869 days of obstruction that have held up a nominee as qualified and respected as Ms. Halligan is a disgrace, especially when the second highest court in the country has an unheard of four vacancies.

In addition to the backing of The Leadership Conference, Ms. Halligan received endorsements from the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations, the National District Attorneys Association, the New York Association of Chiefs of Police, and the New York State Sheriffs’ Association. The ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary unanimously gave her its highest rating, “well-qualified.”

Some of the most important civil and rights issues of our time hinge on the opinion of the D.C. Circuit, including the recent decision to invalidate recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board and two cases that are currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, Fisher v. Texas and Shelby v. Holder.

We urge the Senate to quickly confirm Ms. Halligan and fill a vacancy on this important court.”

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.