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Dear NAME:

It’s hard to believe I am writing my final “President's Message” for the monthly all AFJ e-news, The Insider, we launched last year. It is bittersweet.

As you likely know, I will be leaving AFJ in late summer, but I will never leave our movement and cause. I am grateful for the opportunity to take my learnings and experiences to a position with a much larger platform and wider reach to effectuate the change we’re all driving so hard towards.

But, before I go, I want to thank you. From the bottom of my heart. The support, both financial and moral, has been so galvanizing. With it, AFJ accomplished a remarkable amount of progress. The organization I found in September of 2021 is vastly different from the one that I will leave in September of 2024.

The most important piece of that progress is my remarkable team. AFJ’s staff is stronger, more diverse, and deeply committed to our new mission. While there is much more to be achieved, I am humbled to see how far we have come, and grateful for the support that got us there.

The staff and leadership team we have built are poised to continue our work without pause, there will be no hiccups. While we search for a new permanent President, AFJ’s VP of Strategy Keith Thirion (see Staff Profile below) and VP of Operations, Betsy Miller Kittredge will serve as interim Co-Presidents, supported by the decentralized and extraordinary leadership team, and all AFJ’s staff.

And while there's so much more to be done, I will remain a loyal and faithful steward of our efforts. Our mission is core to my being: Alliance for Justice champions, defends, and enhances the promise of our multiracial, constitutional democracy. Our three core programs — Justice, Bolder Advocacy, and Outreach & Membership — make up the foundation of our enduring commitment. As Aristotle said more than two thousand years ago, “A constitution without a democracy is a tyranny.” He might have continued, “if you want to destroy a democracy, destroy its constitution.”

AFJ has born witness to the diminution and subversion of the Constitution for over four decades. But, like my hero Barbara Jordan, we have not stood idly by. We fight for judges because our rights are only as good as the people who interpret them, and we embolden nonprofit advocacy because nonprofits are how Americans make democracy real.

Once more, my thanks for the journey and for all the support. The foundation we have built will catapult AFJ into the next phase of our fight to champion, defend and enhance constitutional democracy.

Onward and with gratitude,

Rakim

Federal Courts
Earlier this morning, our Program Director of Justice, Jake Faleschini, joined C-SPAN's Washington Journal to discuss upcoming Supreme Court decisions and ethics questions surrounding the court. Click here to watch the entire segment. You won't want to miss it!
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[Graphic image of thumbnail from C-Span Washington Journal video feat. Jake Faleschini with red play button on top]

Since May, our federal courts team has been navigating an ever-changing judicial landscape. President Biden announced his 50th and 51st slate of judicial nominees, and we are particularly pleased with the nominations of Karla Campbell (6th Cir.), Catherine Henry (ED PA), and Mary Kay Lanthier (D VT). Campbell, an all-star labor and economic justice lawyer, has a remarkable track record of fighting for American workers' rights. Henry and Lanthier bring a combined three decades of public defense experience to the bench, addressing the critical underrepresentation of public defenders in our federal courts.

We are also in the height of SCOTUS decision season, with 23 undecided cases left. Notable cases include United States v. Rahimi (Second Amendment), Loper Bright (administrative law), and Trump v. United States (presidential immunity). The Court recently issued decisions in FDA v. AHM, where a unanimous opinion denied anti-abortion doctors' standing to challenge mifepristone, and Garland v. Cargill, where a 6–3 opinion protected bump stocks from regulation, highlighting textualism inconsistencies. Additionally, recent Supreme Court ethics scandals underscore the urgent need for robust ethical regulations for justices. For more on these issues and key cases, please visit our 2023-2024 Supreme Court Term Preview. [link: [link removed]]

State Courts
In celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, our state courts team is thrilled to announce the release of a special report, The Faces of Justice Volume 3: LGBTQ+ State Supreme Court Justices [link: [link removed]]. This report is the third installment in a series dedicated to showcasing the important role of diversity in the justice system. Dive into the history of LGBTQ+ state supreme court justices and their impact on justice for all. Last month, in honor of AAPI Heritage Month, we published The Faces of Justice Volume 2: AAPI State Supreme Court Justices. [link: [link removed]]

In other state court news, South Carolina Legislature is set to elect the next State Supreme Court justice from the candidates forwarded by the Judicial Merit Selection Commission. Following the withdrawal of Circuit Court Judge Jocelyn Newman, Court of Appeals Judges Blake Hewitt and Letitia Verdin remain in contention to replace retiring Justice Donald Beatty, the only Black justice on the court. Additionally, with the retirement of former Justice Kaye Hearn, the South Carolina Supreme Court currently has an all-male majority. Learn more about how to get involved in this vacancy here. [link: [link removed]]

In Connecticut, Chief Justice Richard Robinson will retire in September, two years before his term expires. Robinson, the first Black chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, has served since 2013. Governor Ned Lamont will nominate his successor, requiring confirmation by the General Assembly. This follows a contentious previous nomination process last fall. Meanwhile, in Washington State, the upcoming November 5 election will see two incumbent justices running unopposed, while four candidates vie for the seat of retiring Justice Susan Owens. In recent elections, West Virginia and Idaho Supreme Court justices ran unopposed, and in Georgia, Justice Andrew Pinson secured a full term on May 21 [link: [link removed]], overcoming a challenge centered on his record with the state's six-week abortion ban.

Latest Resources from Bolder Advocacy

Earlier this year, Bolder Advocacy released the 5th Edition of The Connection, a guide for 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, and Political Organizations. Since then, exciting new developments have emerged, with an FEC advisory opinion [link: [link removed]] impacting the work of some organizations engaged in door-to-door canvassing activities. For more details, download your free copy of The Connection [link: [link removed]] and refer to a client memo [link: [link removed]] by Trister, Ross, Schadler & Gold, PLLC for an in-depth analysis.

Save the date for two public webinars this June [link: [link removed]]: "How Your 501(c)(3)'s Recordkeeping Can Enhance Your Advocacy Potential" on Tuesday, June 25, and "Foundation Support for Lobbying and Other Advocacy" on Thursday, June 27. Lastly, catch our latest Rules of the Game podcast episodes [link: [link removed]] where we explore nonpartisan voter engagement with Nonprofit Vote's Brian Miller; federal elections advocacy; and tax law and elections with NEO Law Group's Erin Bradrick. Let's make our voices heard!

Q&A with Keith Thirion

In this Insider and next month’s issue, we are highlighting our incoming Co-Presidents: Keith Thirion (current Vice President of Strategy) and Betsy Miller Kittredge (current Vice President of Operations and Chief of Staff)!

With nearly nine years at Alliance for Justice under his belt, Keith is one of AFJ’s longest-tenured staff. In all that he does, Keith lends his compelling voice to championing the rights we hold so dear. Especially at this critical juncture in American democracy, we are truly grateful to have leaders such as Keith in this fight.

What are three words you’d use to describe AFJ today? 

Vibrant, impactful, strategic.

What is your favorite part of working at AFJ? 

Working with amazing colleagues to create lasting change. We have an incredible team, and the work we do touches every issue that drives me, from LGBTQ equality to climate and environment to racial justice to workers' rights and more. Our courts and nonprofit advocacy are critical to protecting the progressive advances we've made and moving closer to securing justice for all.

AFJ is dedicated to building power, transforming courts, and securing justice for all. Our work is ongoing; it also requires us to think in terms of decades, not just years. When the movement experiences losses, where do you find hope? 

Harkening to my organizing roots, I find hope in the long term power we build even when we're losing in the short term. Having made it through the Trump years, I have no rose colored glasses about the impact on our world, but we saw incredible gains in progressive organizing with new organizations bursting onto the scene and established organizations embracing new strategies. And AFJ was at the forefront helping organizations maximize their advocacy and growing the courts movement to be ready on day one of the Biden administration.

And lastly: What are your go-to spots in DC for relaxing and decompressing from work?  

I'm always up for finding a new restaurant or coffee shop, but my go-to's include Copycat, Slash Run, and The Little Grand. I also love DC's theater scene, namely Studio Theatre, Mosaic Theater at Atlas, Keegan, and Woolly Mammoth. 

Read the full interview here. [link: [link removed]]


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