Although the next Senate work session won't begin until November 14th, we are not slowing down our push for Sen. Schumer and the entire Democratic Caucus to immediately continue confirming pending nominees. We are relentless in our quest to get equal justice champions confirmed and fill every vacancy this year.
Additionally, we are closely tracking the Supreme Court as it faces pivotal civil rights, voting rights, and environmental justice cases. Next up, on October 31st, the Supreme Court will hear two challenges to the use of race in college admissions processes. Americans widely support affirmative action and understand that it ensures equal access to education and enriches campus communities. The challengers in these cases, however, have embarked on a decades long attempt to dismantle affirmative action as we know it by eliminating race-conscious policies and programs that facilitate opportunities for people of all backgrounds.
On the day of oral arguments, join us in front of the United States Supreme Court to hear from a range of advocacy leaders including our very own President, Rakim Brooks. Make your voice heard and let your presence send a strong message that affirmative action is supported and must be protected. Stand with Alliance for Justice and our coalition partners on October 31st from 8am to 12pm ET.
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The Good News
Despite the Senate’s recess and thanks to Sen. Durbin’s leadership, the Senate Judiciary Committee met on October 12 to expedite more exceptionally qualified nominees through the Judiciary Committee. We are particularly excited about the following nominees from October 12th:
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Judge Daniel Calabretta, nominated to the U.S. District for the Eastern District of California, was appointed to the Superior Court for the County of Sacramento after a career of public service. If confirmed, he will be the first openly LGBTQ+ judge to serve in California’s eastern district.
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Matthew L. Garcia, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, has extensive experience as a plaintiffs’ side lawyer fighting for civil rights.
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Justice Adrienne C. Nelson, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, currently sits on the Oregon State Supreme Court and is a former public defender. If confirmed, she will make history again as the first Black woman to serve on the District Court for Oregon.
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Pay Attention
In addition to the affirmative action cases at the end of this month, the Supreme Court will hear many more impactful cases in the weeks ahead. Here are some that we are paying particularly close attention to: -
Haaland v. Brackeen (11/9): This case challenges the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Texas is challenging the constitutionality of ICWA, arguing that it constitutes federal overreach. A decision in favor of Texas would have a devastating impact on Native families and tribal sovereignty.
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303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (12/5): This case involves a Colorado graphic designer who refused to create websites for same-sex couples. A decision in favor of the designer would invalidate the Colorado law prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ+ customers, as well as any other state laws that provide similar protections.
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Moore v. Harper (12/7): This redistricting case out of North Carolina could have serious implications for voting rights and the future of our democracy itself. If the Court accepts the radical “independent state legislature” theory, it will effectively allow state legislatures to set their own rules for presidential and congressional elections and strip state courts of the power to strike down anti-democratic laws.
Last term, the radical conservative majority on the court showed us that they won’t hesitate to ignore precedent and undermine critical and well-established civil rights. We will be paying close attention to oral arguments and will keep you updated on where the court stands. |
What's Next
As part of our ongoing series Holding Court: Justice Conversations with AFJ, our Rakim Brooks will host a conversation with The Nation’s justice correspondent Elie Mystal about his recent book Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s oral arguments in the affirmative action cases.
This edition of Holding Court will happen on Twitter Spaces! Please join Rakim and Elie on Thursday, November 3rd at 1pm ET by going to our Twitter page @AFJustice to listen in! You don’t need a Twitter account to be a part of the event, but if you have one, make sure you’re following @AFJustice for event reminders. |
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