ACS President Russ Feingold’s Statement on Latest Round of Judicial Nominees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Pablo Willis, pwillis@acslaw.org 

Washington, DC — American Constitution Society President Russ Feingold released the following statement in response to the Biden-Harris Administration announcement of 10 new nominees to the federal bench as well as nominees to the DC Courts. 

“This morning’s announcement of a new group of judicial nominees is welcome news and shows continued prioritization on the part of the administration to fill crucial vacancies on the bench at a time when the credibility of the judiciary has come under scrutiny. Many of the nominees in this group are qualified, brilliant attorneys who exemplify both professional and personal diversity. Among the group, some nominees would be the first Hispanic, or AAPI individuals to sit on their respective courts. A number of the nominees have experience in fields of law that are under-represented on the bench, with one having spent time as a public defender or in consumer protection law, or as civil rights practitioners.  

The need for the Biden-Harris Administration to keep its historic pace filling judicial nominations could not be more urgent. The federal bench is not close to being reflective of the racial or gender diversity of the public and is overwhelmingly filled by judges with a narrow set of professional backgrounds that do not represent the perspectives or backgrounds of most Americans. This problem was worsened in the previous administration which appointed mainly white, male, conservative ideologues filling critical vacancies. Judges make decisions that affect every facet of our lives from healthcare to voting rights. Our courts need to reflect the diversity of the public they serve.”  

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AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY
ACS believes that the Constitution is “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” We interpret the Constitution based on its text and against the backdrop of history and lived experience. Through a diverse nationwide network of progressive lawyers, law students, judges, scholars, and many others, we work to uphold the Constitution in the 21st Century by ensuring that law is a force for protecting our democracy and the public interest and for improving people’s lives. For more information, visit us at www.acslaw.org or on Twitter @acslaw.