Amir Ali’s Civil Rights Experience Will Strengthen Our Judiciary and Democracy

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 after the Senate confirmed Amir Ali to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia:

“The Senate’s confirmation of Amir Ali to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia means that another highly qualified civil rights lawyer will now serve on our federal courts. We celebrate this important confirmation. Mr. Ali’s tremendous legal career, including his extensive work protecting the rights of people involved in the criminal-legal system, has had a profound impact and demonstrates his deep commitment to equal justice. Mr. Ali also becomes the first Arab American judge and first Muslim judge to serve a lifetime appointment on this court. These underrepresented perspectives are critically needed in our judiciary and will help build trust in our courts, improve judicial decision-making, and strengthen our democracy.

“We applaud the president for his leadership in nominating Mr. Ali and thank all senators who supported his confirmation. Still, much more work remains. We urge the Senate to confirm all pending nominees before the end of the 118th Congress. Time is of the essence to build an equal justice judiciary that works for all of us.”

Amir Ali is now the fourth Muslim lifetime judge in our nation’s history following President Biden’s appointment of Judge Zahid Quraishi (District of New Jersey), Judge Nusrat Choudhury (Eastern District of New York), and Judge Mustafa Kasubhai (District of Oregon).

Read The Leadership Conference’s letter in support of the confirmation of Amir Ali.

On Friday, The Leadership Conference, joined by 140+ other national organizations, wrote to senators urging them to confirm all pending judicial nominees before the end of the Biden administration. The letter is available here.

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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