A September Summary   

Though 13 nominees were confirmed in September, a staggering 28 remain pending as we look toward the final 100 days of the 118th Congress. These 28 include the following nominees:   

Circuit Court Nominees:  

Adeel Mangi (3rd Circuit)  

Karla Campbell (6th Circuit)  

District Court Nominees:  

Sarah Russell (D. CT)  

Mustafa Kasubhai (D. OR)  

Amir Ali (D.D.C)  

Rebecca Pennell (E.D. WA)  

Anne Hwang (C.D. Cal)  

Cynthia Valenzuela (C.D. Cal)  

Catherine Henry (E.D.PA)  

Judge Jonathan Hawley (C.D. Ill.) 

It is vital that none of these nominees are left unconfirmed. The above candidates are all talented lawyers who would bring important professional and/or demographic diversity to their respective courts. Among these nominees are civil rights lawyers (Amir Ali and Cynthia Valenzuela), public defenders (Judge Jonathan Hawley and Catherine Henry), and labor lawyers (Karla Campbell and Mustafa Kasubhai) — all of whom who would bring underrepresented professional perspectives to the bench. We were thrilled to see such highly qualified individuals nominated to the bench, and we hope to see them confirmed as soon as possible.  

We urge you to contact your senators today and encourage them to prioritize confirming judges in November. A yes to these nominees is a yes to confirming President Biden and Leader Schumer’s outstanding legacy on judicial nominations. Let’s thank our president for his dedication to justice by getting his final nominees over the finish line!  

Supreme Court Update

Though the Senate may be in recess, the Supreme Court is gearing up for another blockbuster term. The 2024-2025 Supreme Court term kicks off on October 7 and there are five key cases that we’re already watching: United States v. Skrmetti, Bouarfa v. Mayorkas, Stanley v. City of Sanford, Fla., Seven County Infrastructure v. Eagle County, Colo., and Garland v. VanDerStok. These cases concern everything from transgender rights (Skrmetti), to the regulation of ghost guns (VanDerStok), to disability rights (Stanley), meaning that, once again, we wait with bated breath to see how the runaway Roberts Court will further erode or curtail our civil liberties. If you would like to learn more about the above cases, check out our 2024-2025 Supreme Court Term Preview. We will update this preview throughout the year as new cert petitions are granted. For those who want a quick reminder of all that happened last term, here is our 2023-2024 Supreme Court Term Review.  

What’s Next? 

Join us next week on October 8 for our yearly in-person Holding Court event in Washington, D.C.! The panel includes Ari Melber, Emmy Award-winning journalist, writer and attorney, and the host of MSNBC's The Beat with Ari Melber; Erin Reed, award-winning transgender journalist and author of the newsletter Erin in the Morning; Kris Brown, president of Brady; and Elie Mystal, writer, former litigator, and justice correspondent for The Nation. Our panelists will delve into the 2024-2025 Supreme Court term, discussing key cases and their potential implications. Seats are filling up fast, so RSVP now before it’s too late. Click here to RSVP! 

Not yet receiving AFJ Insider? Sign up to join us here. 

Donate today to help us keep up The Rush.