Dear John,
There is no glossing over it. We are in for some dark days ahead. Those in our communities who were already most vulnerable face greater danger, and the bedrock principles of our democracy will be tried.
But know this: In our 45-year history, Alliance for Justice has never backed down from a challenge.
Trump’s first four years with a Republican senate to buoy him — and the enduring legacy of the judges he put on the bench — paints the stark picture of the jeopardy we face. But those four years also revealed the creativity, persistence, and resilience of our movements.
AFJ is ready to meet this moment in new ways that will demand that we vigorously defend the progress we have made.
We will mobilize our members, partners, and progressive movements to oppose the extremists Trump is lining up for the federal bench. Using our unique combination of research and advocacy, we will shine a light on the dangerous records of Trump’s judicial nominees and sound the alarm to keep them off the bench. We will use every tool, from organizing to leveraging senate procedures, to delay and even defeat the worst of their nominations. We will also continue to monitor the sitting justices to hold them to account for ethical violations and call for reform.
We will support the movements doing the daily work of organizing our communities and building power with our one-of-a-kind Bolder Advocacy resources to maximize their advocacy and stay safe amidst targeted attacks on progressive nonprofits. We will work side by side with grassroots groups to ensure everyone has a voice in the policies that shape our lives. We will build out our newer curriculum on defending against political attacks, on-demand trainings, and state-level resources to leverage our power in state houses, Congress, and at the ballot box.
We will double down on state courts to hold the line against federal fascism. We will advocate for judges who come from the movements we serve to sit on our state courts, educate the public about how to weigh in on the judges who fill these benches, and continue to build a national network of organizations prioritizing these critical courts. We will discern the opportunities to diversify state benches based on possible upcoming vacancies and convene partners on the ground to identify diverse judicial nominees for these opportunities.
We will continue the long-term work to build the bench of future judges committed to democracy and equality. Through our work in the state courts and building power on the front lines with our members, we will identify some of the most talented and thoughtful lawyers around the country who will be ready for current state court openings and the federal bench in a new administration. And we will use our unique experience with the federal bench to help guide and prepare them for the future.
We will support our 140 diverse member organizations with unique access to advocacy and capacity-building resources. No matter their issue — from reproductive rights to LGBTQ+ equality to labor and economic justice and more — our members will face unique challenges in this new administration while advocating to make or defend progress at all levels of government. Our strength is rooted in our members, and we are stronger united.
And throughout it all we will build the long-term power to emerge, if not unscathed, stronger and more committed to building a better tomorrow.
In short, we have hope. We hope you'll join us.
Onward,
Keith and Betsy
Interim Co-Presidents
