Welcome back from the long Labor Day weekend! In honor of Labor Day and a recent positive ruling for workers, check out this blog post highlighting the importance of ending forced arbitration. Companies use arbitration as an expeditious and economical way to avoid the typical safeguards of court proceedings. It’s time to push back against the practice and make workers’ access to justice a priority.
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The Good News
The Senate returned from the summer recess this week and the race to confirm judicial nominees is back on. Thus far, the Biden administration has confirmed 79 judges, but there are still nearly 120 vacancies on the bench. With the midterms just two short months ahead, there is a lot of work to be done.
Here is the good news: the Senate is off to a great start! This week Judge John Lee was confirmed to serve as Circuit Court Judge for the Seventh Circuit. This historic vote makes Judge Lee the first Asian American judge to sit on the Seventh Circuit, which is cause for celebration. Now, the Senate needs to build on this momentum by hearing as many nominees as possible at each hearing and finding creative ways to get more nominees confirmed, which may mean longer days as we get closer to November.
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Pay Attention
On Wednesday, September 7th, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for Cindy K. Chung (PA) and Justice Tamika R. Montgomery-Reeves (DE), both nominated to the Third Circuit. Here is why we are excited about these nominees: -
Cindy K. Chung, an attorney with significant experience in prosecuting civil rights violations such as hate crimes, will be the first Asian American judge to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Since 2014, she has worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, prosecuting a wide range of criminal matters at the trial and appellate level and holding roles including Civil Rights Coordinator and Domestic Violence Coordinator.
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Justice Tamika R. Montgomery-Reeves is a trailblazer who has served as a Delaware state court judge since 2015. She gained expertise in corporate business transactions before becoming the first Black vice chancellor and second woman to serve on the Delaware Court of Chancery in its 223-year-history, after being appointed by Governor Jack Markell. On January 3, 2020, Justice Montgomery-Reeves made history once again when she was appointed to the Delaware Supreme Court, becoming as the first Black justice and only third woman.
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What's Next
It’s time to get to work! After the November elections, the steady progress of the last two years could come to a grinding halt. With 15 nominees waiting for final floor votes and many more pending Judiciary Committee action, now is our chance to make a lasting impact on the federal judiciary. Fortunately, Sen. Schumer made it clear in his floor remarks this week that Judge Lee will be the first of many judicial nominees to advance in September, and named judicial confirmations as a top priority. Let’s all hold him to it!
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