Judicial Confirmations Must Be Prioritized for Remainder of Biden Administration

Courts News 11.12.24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick McNeil, [email protected]

WASHINGTON — Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program and an advisor at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement:

“Every judicial seat in America matters for the protection of our rights and our communities. As the Senate returns to Washington and with limited time remaining, it is critically important that our senators immediately vote on all of President Biden’s judicial nominees. Every lifetime nomination must be confirmed before the end of the 118th Congress. For our democracy and for our communities, the confirmation of judges now is both urgent and necessary to ensure we have more jurists across the country who will uphold the rule of law and advance equal justice.

“President Biden, with leadership from Majority Leader Schumer and Judiciary Committee Chair Durbin, has been dedicated to the appointment of federal judges who are highly qualified, fair-minded, demographically and professionally diverse, and committed to civil and human rights. We’ve seen this in the historic ascension of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman and first former public defender to serve on our nation’s highest court. We’ve seen this in the records he’s broken for the appointment of openly LGBTQ judges, Native judges, and other judges from historically underrepresented and excluded backgrounds. And we’ve seen this in his nomination of career civil rights lawyers, public defenders, and other lawyers with critical experience protecting our fundamental rights.

“But this work isn’t over, and we will not settle. Over the next few weeks, it is incumbent on the Senate to ensure the confirmation of additional fair-minded judicial nominees who will make an immediate and enduring impact on the lives and fundamental freedoms of people across the nation. With 17 nominees awaiting a vote by the full Senate and more expected to advance out of the Judiciary Committee, including individuals with significant civil and human rights experience, there is no time to waste.

“During the first Trump administration, the president-elect and Senate Republicans worked to rig the federal judiciary to work against everyday people — tipping the scales of justice in favor of the wealthy and powerful and handing lifetime federal judgeships to individuals who are openly hostile to our hard-won civil and human rights. The Leadership Conference and our Fair Courts Task Force continue our efforts to work toward the day there is equal justice and serve at the forefront of the fight for our federal courts. This work persists and is the task of each generation, no matter who is in office. But today and through the end of the year, with focus and determination, the Senate can and must leave President Biden the legacy of appointing a stunning number of superbly qualified and historically diverse judicial nominees. Our judiciary, our democracy, and our civil and human rights depend on it.”

To learn more about President Biden’s historic judicial appointments, read The Leadership Conference’s fact sheets about Black, AANHPI, and Latino/a lifetime judges confirmed during the Biden administration, in addition to a fact sheet about openly LGBTQ lifetime judges confirmed in U.S. history.

For information about how the president-elect has and is likely to damage our judiciary, read The Leadership Conference’s resources on the damage created by his previous administration and how Project 2025 and his plans will impact our courts and our future.

The Leadership Conference urges confirmation of every remaining judicial nominee and has sent letters urging support for the following nominees:

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 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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