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Graphic featuring protesters behind the scales of justice, reading ''The Rush: Bolder Action Now: Fill Every Seat'' [[link removed]]

It has been an exciting couple of weeks for the federal judiciary. On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, And Federal Rights held a hearing [[link removed]] entitled “Ensuring an Impartial Judiciary: Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023,” to discuss how Congress can act to hold the Court accountable amidst an ongoing series of high-profile violations of ethics guidelines and law by justices.

In particular, Justice Thomas has come under intense scrutiny for the luxuries he has accepted over time—perks like those given him by billionaire Harlan Crow. The ever-generous conservative mega-donor didn’t just shower the justice with thousands of dollars in gifts and trips [[link removed]] on his jet and yacht but funded Ginni Thomas’s salary and a nephew’s tuition [[link removed]] as well as buying and renovating Thomas’s mother’s home—and letting her keep living there free of charge. And when his transgressions were exposed, Thomas chose not to attempt to come into compliance but to stop complying with the law altogether [[link removed]] .

Justice Thomas’ corruption matters, not only because no one is above the law, but also because his impartiality is paramount as he writes decisions that affect the rights of every American. Unsurprisingly, Justice Thomas consistently issues rulings that benefit billionaires like Crow. For example, as AFJ Dorot Fellow Mari Nemec highlights in her latest blog post [[link removed]] , Justice Thomas recently joined the majority’s decision in Glacier Northwest v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters [[link removed]] , a decision [[link removed]] that weakened Americans’ ability to collectively bargain and makes it easier for Thomas' billionaire friends to exploit workers for profit.

The Good News

On the judicial nominations front, the Senate continues to make exciting progress.
We are delighted that on Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Dale Ho [[link removed]] (S.D.N.Y), whose nomination has been pending since September 2021. As one of the nation’s premier civil rights attorneys, Mr. Ho has spent his career fighting for our most critical constitutional rights and legal protections. Mr. Ho will also be one of only two Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) men sitting on the Southern District of New York.

After waiting 21 months, the Senate finally confirmed Judge Hernán D. Vera [[link removed]] (C.D.Cal.), the son of Argentine immigrants who was recommended by Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein of California. Judge Vera spent the majority of his career at Public Counsel, the largest pro bono public interest firm in the world. Specializing in class action suits, Judge Vera started as Directing Attorney of the Consumer Law Project and ultimately served as President and CEO.

In more good news, Casey Pitts [[link removed]] (N.D. Cal.) was also confirmed this week. Mr. Pitts's extensive experience in complex federal and state litigation, representing international and local labor unions, consumers, government entities, and public interest organizations, has thoroughly prepared him for the issues he will face on the District Court. With years of complex and high-profile litigation experience advocating for working people, Mr. Pitts will bring robust knowledge, skill and an important perspective on labor rights to the bench.

Earlier this week, Majority Leader Schumer also filed cloture on incredible nominees including Nusrat Choudhury [[link removed]] (E.D.N.Y.), and Julie Rikelman [[link removed]] (1st Cir., Mass.). Both nominees were part of AFJ’s Confirmations Overdue [[link removed]] campaign, through which we push for the swift confirmation of equal justice champions. We look forward to watching all these nominees sail through the confirmation process now that Senate attendance issues have been resolved.
Ready for more happy tidings? Read our letter of support for Julie Rikelman [[link removed]] (1st Cir., Mass.). Currently, U.S. Litigation Director for the Center for Reproductive Rights, Rikelman is a veteran civil rights litigator known for her work protecting reproductive rights in state and federal courts throughout the country. Her nomination has been pending since August 2022.

What's Next
Don’t miss the next edition of Holding Court TODAY, June 15, at 2 pm ET! AFJ will be hosting a conversation between NARAL President Mini Timmaraju and Senior Aron Justice Counsel Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza. Visit Holding Court online [[link removed]] for interviews and dialogues between leading attorneys, progressive advocates, politicians, and thought leaders on current events and today’s social justice issues. The conversation with Mini Timmaraju will take place on Twitter Spaces. You don’t need a Twitter account to attend, but Twitter users can set a reminder to attend here [[link removed]] .

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