ACS Fair Courts Reports
ACS's reports examine key topics and major findings in state and federal judicial issues.
Judicial Nominations - A Look Ahead
A major achievement of the Biden-Harris administration has been nominating, and the Senate confirming, diverse, qualified federal judges. Of the administration’s 136 Article III confirmations: 67% have been women 67% have been people of color 44% have been women of color In stark contrast, of the previous administration’s 234 Article III confirmations: 84% were male 76% were white
Read MoreWhat’s the Big Idea? Recommendations for Improving Law & Policy in the Next Administration and in the States
As the nation prepares to welcome a new administration, ACS is pleased to release a collection of essays that represents the best thinking of a diverse set of scholars and advocates.
Read MoreDark Money and the Courts: The Right Wing Takeover of the Judiciary
The Far Right is pursuing an audacious effort to capture America’s courts. Fueled by $250 million in secret “dark money” contributions, they seek to enact a radical social and economic agenda they could never achieve legislatively. Learn more, including what you can do to protect a fair judiciary.
Read MoreRoadblock to Reform: Judicial Selection and Criminal Justice Reform
How do state court judges’ political incentives affect their willingness to employ criminal justice reforms? This report, Roadblock to Reform, looks at how judges in Kentucky and Virginia have adopted risk assessment tools to inform incarceration decisions. It considers whether judges’ willingness to use risk assessment tools is related to how the judge is selected.
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