The Good News

The Washington Post recently reported that President Biden is poised to endorse major Supreme Court reforms, including legislation to impose term limits, as well as an enforceable ethics code binding the out-of-control justices from further injuring the integrity of the institution they serve. AFJ is thrilled by the prospect of the President supporting major, much-needed court reform and looks forward to hearing more about the proposal in the weeks that follow.  

Next Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee should be holding a hearing for a slew of stellar nominees! This slate includes two phenominees, Ryan Y. Park and Judge Jonathan E. Hawley. 

Ryan Y. Park, nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, is an accomplished advocate whose career has been defined by a deep dedication to social justice. Park currently serves as the Solicitor General of North Carolina and has argued several cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. 

Jonathan E. Hawley, nominated to the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, has already served as a Magistrate Judge in the district for a decade, and previously practiced as a public defender for 15 years.  

Next Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will likely hold an executive business meeting – A.K.A “markup” – moving some truly exceptional nominees one step closer to making our judiciary more reflective of the people. Nominees Karla Campbell, Julia Lipez, Mary Kathleen Costello, Catherine Henry, Mary Kay Lanthier, Laura Margarete Provinzino, and Noel Wise should all be lined up for committee votes. 

Karla Campbell, nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, is currently Of Counsel at prestigious plaintiffs’ side employment and labor law firm Stranch Jennings & Garvey.   

Catherine Henry, nominated to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, would bring much needed public defense experience to the bench. 

Mary Kay Lanthier, nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, currently serves as a supervising attorney at the Rutland County Public Defender’s Office. Through her extensive experience as a public defender, Lanthier will provide the bench with much-needed professional diversity, if confirmed.    

What's Next  

The Senate must act quickly to confirm President Biden’s pending nominees: 33 nominees await confirmation votes on the Senate floor, including the exceptionally qualified Judge Mustafa Kasubhai of Oregon, Amir Ali of D.C., and Adeel Mangi of New Jersey, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, all of whom will bring much-needed experiential and demographic diversity to the federal judiciary.  

Republican Senators’ obstructionist tactics, including refusing to return blue slips, have created an inexcusable delay at the expense of the judiciary and the public it serves. The worst offenders include Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida, and Senator Steve Daines of Montana, who are blocking the Senate Judiciary Committee from holding hearings for Detra Shaw-Wilder (S.D. Fla.) and Danna Jackson (D. MT), two exceptionally qualified nominees.  

Still Ahead

Thirty-nine judicial vacancies remain without names — also largely because of Republican obstructionism. The Biden administration must move quickly to fill these vacancies with demographically and professionally diverse judges, continuing its trailblazing legacy enhancing the diversity of the federal courts. 

Join Us!

Alliance for Justice is proud to announce our next Holding Court will feature Steve Bright and James Kwak — co-authors of The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts on Thursday, August 15 at 2pm ET. The conversation will be moderated by AFJ Senior Fellow Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza. 

Past conversations featuring luminaries from Dahlia Lithwick to Madiba Dennie to Michael Waldman and Representative Jamie Raskin, a leading voice upholding the rule of law and democracy in the United States, can be found at AFJ’s YouTube page. 

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