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Hi John,
It seems that every month brings new challenges that threaten not only the foundations of our democracy, but our very existence. This month, we’ve already seen the Tennessee Assembly attack free speech by dismissing two Black legislators; endured a bizarre and uninformed district court opinion by right-wing ideologue Matthew Kacsmaryk; and been shocked to our core by revelations that Clarence Thomas has improperly benefitted from his association with a right-wing billionaire who is fond of Nazi memorabilia. It’s almost too much.

But each of these challenges presented opportunities to intervene and stand up for what is right. Alliance for Justice, with your support, is strategically and aggressively responding to the cascading revelations in this fight for our democracy. Read on to see what we’re doing and how you can get involved. I have been so inspired by the democratic resistance led by AFJ’s staff and others, as well as the signs of a growing and powerful understanding that fair courts are essential to a democratic society.

We are meeting the moment.

Sincerely,
Rakim
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Federal Courts
''Torn in half'' image of Justice Thomas beside the scales of Justice [[link removed]] In the wake of reporting that Justice Clarence Thomas has received several luxury vacations from billionaire and Republican megadonor Harlan Crow and his failure to disclose these gifts, AFJ immediately called on Thomas to resign. In our statement on these revelations [[link removed]] , we laid out steps that every branch of the federal government can take, today , to rein in the Supreme Court – an institution that has entirely gone off the rails in terms of accountability and upholding the bare minimum of ethical standards.

An image of a uterus made up of pills, with a demonstration in the background [[link removed]] On our blog, AFJ Bolder Advocacy Director Natalie Roetzel Ossenfort reminds us that public charities can (and must) use their voices to influence judicial nominations. [[link removed]]

Also on our blog, our Mari Nemec and Jake Faleschini trace Judge Kacsmaryk’s reckless and cruel medication abortion decision [[link removed]] to the use and abuse of the "blue slip," something to which AFJ is vehemently opposed.

An image of the scales of Justice over turquoise, blue, and white bars [[link removed]] Kacsmaryk’s District Court seat was only held open for Trump to fill when he took office because of the “blue slip,” an archaic Senate formality that is being used again during the Biden Administration [[link removed]] as a bad faith obstruction tactic to hold judicial vacancies open.

Stylized graphic of the Capitol dome [[link removed]] The U.S. Senate is back in session, with a great deal of work to do for democracy and the rule of law. There are still 18 nominees waiting for their confirmation votes, including equal justice [[link removed]] champions like Kenly Kato [[link removed]] and Nusrat Choudhury [[link removed]] . To demonstrate the importance of professional diversity on the bench, the Senate must act swiftly to confirm these nominees.

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There are over 60 federal judicial vacancies with no nominee. We are urging the White House to continue nominating candidates to fill these vacancies, especially vacancies in the approximately 20 district court seats in states with two Democratic Senators for which we don’t anticipate “blue slip” issues.

To get an insider's view of the campaign to fill every judicial seat by 2025, make sure you're subscribed [[link removed]] to our biweekly The Rush newsletter.

State Courts
[link removed] [[link removed]] What we witnessed in Wisconsin earlier this month should give us hope that Americans clearly see a powerful right-wing movement that is destroying our rights and wellbeing with impunity and are ready to fight back. AFJ congratulates Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice-elect Janet Protasiewicz. Her win marks the first time progressives have held a majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in over a decade.

This will have a major impact on the questions related to abortion access, the state legislature’s heavily gerrymandered maps, and the integrity of the 2024 election.
As AFJ’s Jake Faleschini told San Francisco public radio the day after the election: “[Most Americans] feel like protections that they’ve had for decades are being stripped away by an unresponsive and political Supreme Court. That scares a lot of people, and the result in Wisconsin shows that they’re ready to fight back.”

People across the U.S. can influence who sits on their state’s high court. Explore our State Courts Hub to learn more . [[link removed]]
Latest Resources from Bolder Advocacy
[link removed] [[link removed]] Whether it’s repro rights under attack [[link removed]] , standing up against anti-trans legislation [[link removed]] , or safely engaging in advocacy with undocumented activists [[link removed]] , BA is here to remind nonprofits to leverage their knowledge, power, and resources to fight. ( More on our blog [[link removed]] )

[link removed] [[link removed]] In partnership with the Democracy Capacity Project, Bolder Advocacy is back with three new Practical Guidance State Lobbying [[link removed]] guides ( DC [[link removed]] , IN [[link removed]] , and KS [[link removed]] ), the ultimate roadmap to navigating state lobbying disclosure rules.

[link removed] [[link removed]] NGOSource’s Shyaam Subramanian joins our Rules of the Game podcast to explore streamlining international grantmaking through equivalency determination. Tune in here! [[link removed]]
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Natalie Roetzel Ossenfort
Program Director, Bolder Advocacy
“By equipping nonprofits with the tools to boost their advocacy capacity and the knowledge to remain in compliance with relevant rules, Bolder Advocacy builds the power of nonprofits to speak out in the face of challenges to our democracy and in favor of positive policy change."
Meet Natalie, the Program Director of Alliance for Justice’s (AFJ) Bolder Advocacy program! Marrying her love for advocacy with her extensive legal background, Natalie brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and experience to the table. She joined AFJ because she was inspired by our focus on the power of nonprofit advocacy to drive policy change. As someone who has seen firsthand the impact of wrongful convictions, Natalie is dedicated to working towards a more just and equitable society.
Natalie's previous experience as Executive Director and Chief Staff Attorney for the Innocence Project of Texas has been invaluable in her current role. Her time there allowed her to develop skills in coordinating with allied nonprofits, designing policy agendas, and communicating with government officials – all crucial aspects of her current work at AFJ.

Read our full profile of Natalie. [[link removed]]
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