Courts

Voting is the language of American democracy. The ability to participate in civic life — to have a voice in choosing the elected officials whose decisions impact our lives, families, and communities — is at the core of what it means to be an American.

At our nation’s founding, voting was enshrined only for educated white men who owned property. It took more than a century for the franchise to meaningfully expand to people of color, women, people with disabilities, people who are low-income, and Native Americans. Today, some elected leaders are still working to silence people who were historically denied access to the ballot box.

At The Leadership Conference, we are working to modernize elections and build a 21st century democracy — a democracy where all of our voices are heard. With our coalition partners, we inform the public, decision-makers, and the media about barriers to voting and advocate for policies that expand the right to vote, especially in communities of color. Voting, and the ability to participate in democracy, is a racial justice issue. It is a civil rights issue. And we are overdue for a change.

Our Priorities

Restore and Strengthen Voting Rights

On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court delivered a devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act with its ruling in Shelby County v. Holder (2013), which gutted protections for voters of color in states and local jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination. Since that time, anti-voter politicians have enacted scores of laws and practices making it harder for people to vote. Our coalition is leading efforts to save democracy by enacting federal voting rights legislation that will provide everyone an opportunity to cast a ballot and have that ballot count.

Pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act ›

Pass The Freedom to Vote Act ›

Visit And Still I Vote ›

Fight for Voting Rights ›

Learn more ›

Read our latest report — “PERSEVERE: Our Ongoing Fight for an Equal Justice Judiciary”

The Fair Courts Program

The federal courts are not working for all of us. Too often, courts favor the wealthy and powerful over everyday people, creating corrupt outcomes and perpetuating inequality. For our democracy to work as it should, judges must be committed to achieving the promise inscribed on the Supreme Court: “Equal Justice Under Law.” That’s how we protect our rights — including voting rights, health care, LGBTQ equality, disability rights, protections for immigrants, rights of working people, freedom from discrimination based on religion, environmental protections, gun safety, and more.

Now, under the Biden administration and the 118th Congress, we have new opportunities to transform our courts for the better. We must demand a federal judiciary that will uphold the rights of all people in America. That means the White House and Senate must prioritize nominating and confirming judges who have a demonstrated commitment to civil and human rights, who are fair-minded with a progressive vision of the law, and who reflect and represent the rich diversity of our nation. This diversity includes race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, ethnicity, national origin, socio-economic status, and experiential and professional background.

Congress must also respond to the ongoing judicial ethics crisis by passing legislation that modernizes and strengthens our courts, including legislation on ethics reforms, such as extension of a binding Code of Conduct for Supreme Court justices, further transparency measures, and ongoing investigation into the escalating reports of misconduct. Congress must also pass structural reforms such as expanding the number of authorized judgeships for circuit and district courts, and Congress should also consider other structural reforms to the Supreme Court.

How do nominations work? Check out our Supreme Court Nominations Process flow chart!

Judicial Ethics

To advance equal justice and strengthen our democracy, the Supreme Court must work for all of us, not just the wealthy and powerful. Yet media reports have alleged escalating and egregious patterns of ethics violations and misconduct by the justices who serve for life on our nation’s highest court. The need for serious and immediate action on judicial ethics is clear. We call for immediate passage of robust ethics reform legislation, including an enforceable Code of Conduct for Supreme Court justices, as well as other needed transparency measures. Furthermore, we urge sustained oversight and investigation into reports identifying disturbing patterns of ethics violations by Supreme Court justices.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

The historic confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson embodied our decades-long work and demands to strengthen the federal judiciary with incredible judges who possess a demonstrated commitment to civil and human rights and who bring with them previously excluded professional and personal diversity. Justice Jackson is the first Black woman and first public defender to ever serve on our nation’s highest court.

Learn More

The Leadership Conference coalition has spent decades defending fair and impartial federal courts. As such, we have a trove of resources available online, from policy papers to advocacy and educational materials to media and creative content. Check out our resource library to learn more about the federal judiciary.

Resources ›