After the July 4th break, Senate Democrats are back and ready to confirm judges. This past week Senators have made progress on confirmation votes, nominations hearings, and markups. Even amid many other remarkable achievements, the demographically and professional diversity of the candidates confirmed this week is particularly exciting. |
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Senate Democrats confirmed some fantastic civil rights champions this past week. On July 12th, Tiffany Cartwright (W.D. Wash) and Judge Myong Joun (D. Mass.) were confirmed. Cloture was also invoked for Rachel Bloomekatz (6th Cir., Ohio), and we expect her confirmation early next week.
Tiffany Cartwright is an experienced civil rights and employment litigator, who has dedicated her career to ensuring that our legal system works for all. She will also be the first woman to serve as a federal district court judge from the Tacoma, Washington courthouse. Her nomination had been pending since January 2022.
Judge Myong Joun dedicated his career in litigation to criminal defense and civil rights and already has nearly a decade of experience on the bench. Judge Joun will make an excellent judge for the District of Massachusetts. He brings a wealth of experiences—that of an immigrant, a veteran, and a judge—to the federal bench.
One of the nation’s leading appellate advocates, Rachel Bloomekatz has devoted her career to advancing equal justice and is exceptionally qualified to serve on, and bring diversity to, the Sixth Circuit, which has tended to lean conservative. Ms. Bloomekatz has worked in both the public and private sectors as well as for both plaintiffs and defendants. In that time, she has upheld and protected the rights of all people, an experience that is much needed on the bench.
On July 12th, the Senate Judiciary Committee also held a nominations hearing addressing the candidacies of Jerry Edwards (W.D. La.), Brandon Long (E.D. La.), and Matthew Maddox (D. Md.). |
On July 13th, Judge Loren AliKhan (D.D.C.) and Susan DeClercq (E.D. Mich.) were voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. We look forward to their expeditious confirmation before the full Senate.
Additionally, the committee considered the Supreme Court Ethics, Transparency, and Recusal Act of 2023 (SCERT Act), sponsored by Senators Whitehouse, Blumenthal, Booker, Feinstein, Durbin, Hirono, Welch, Padilla, and Klobuchar. The bill would require Supreme Court justices to adopt a code of conduct, create a mechanism to investigate alleged violations of that code of conduct and other laws, improve disclosure and transparency, and require justices to explain recusal decisions to the public. Amidst serious and ongoing ethics scandals stemming from misdeeds by members of the far-right majority, this kind of legislation is deeply necessary to restore public trust in the institution from its all-time low and prevent further corruption at the Supreme Court.
Please join us on Wednesday, July 19th at 2pm ET for a conversation about the role of art in organizing and activism. Alliance for Justice President Rakim H.D. Brooks will join author Ken Grossinger, podcast host and activist DeRay Mckesson, and Prairie Rivers Network Executive Director Maggie Bruns to discuss Grossinger’s new book, Art Works: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together. You can sign up to be a part of the conversation here. They will discuss historical and current examples of art and activism, how the organizing world can better incorporate art, and how we can all create a better world.
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