Lara Montecalvo Brings Critical Public Defender Experience to First Circuit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rachel Hooper, [email protected]

 WASHINGTON – Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Lara Montecalvo to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

“Lara Montecalvo will be a tremendous addition to the First Circuit given her experience as a public defender and her pursuit of equal justice for all. For 18 years, she served in the Rhode Island Public Defender’s Office, representing clients who could not afford an attorney and ensuring they had access to justice. Despite the critical role they play in our judicial system, public defenders remain vastly underrepresented on the federal bench. To strengthen our judiciary, we need more judges like Montecalvo who possess this kind of important experience.”

Read The Leadership Conference’s letter in support of the confirmation of Lara Montecalvo.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 230 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 member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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