Jamal Whitehead’s Experience Needed on the Federal Bench

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 Jamal Whitehead to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington:

“We celebrate the Senate’s confirmation of Jamal Whitehead to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. He brings vital and underrepresented experience to the bench, including defending the rights of people who have experienced disability discrimination and workplace discrimination. He also joins the extremely small number of federal judges known to be living with a disability, and he will be the only Black judge actively serving on the Western District of Washington.”

Read The Leadership Conference’s letter in support of the confirmation of Jamal Whitehead.

The Leadership Conference recently released “Persevere: Our Ongoing Fight for an Equal Justice Judiciary,” a report detailing progress by the Biden administration and the Senate during the 117th Congress to nominate and confirm diverse and highly qualified federal judges who are committed to civil and human rights. Read it here.

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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