Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Nomination of Judge Kallon to Eleventh Circuit

WASHINGTON – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in support of the confirmation of U.S. District Court Judge Abdul Kallon to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Judge Kallon was confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama by unanimous consent in 2009. The seat on the Eleventh Circuit, which has been vacant since 2013, is classified as a “judicial emergency” by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts: 

“We applaud the nomination of Judge Kallon. His impeccable credentials — as a federal law clerk, an attorney in private practice, and as a federal district judge who was confirmed unanimously — make him an ideal candidate to fill this important and long-standing vacancy. Judge Kallon would also be the first African-American from Alabama to serve on the Eleventh Circuit.

During Judge Kallon’s 2009 confirmation hearing, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions praised his ‘impressive accolades’ and noted that his colleagues ‘all speak universally very highly of his integrity and judgment and legal ability.’

We agree with Senator Sessions and urge the Senate to swiftly confirm Judge Kallon to fill this vacancy.”

Nancy Zirkin is the 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.

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