WASHINGTON, D.C., October 22, 2020 – Vice President Biden’s statement about establishing a commission to reform the courts signals a commitment to make the courts a priority for his administration.

Alliance for Justice Action Campaign President Nan Aron issued the following statement:

President Trump, aided by Senator Mitch McConnell, has packed our courts with ultraconservative judicial nominees who are overwhelmingly white (92%) and male (76%). In many cases, these nominees lack experience serving America’s most vulnerable populations — people who are often dependent on the courts to obtain justice. As a result, our courts are starting to look less like chambers of equal justice, and more like exclusive clubs where only certain people need apply. This administration’s nominee will threaten voting rights, health care, reproductive choice, worker’s rights, environmental justice, LGBTQ protections, and our freedoms and liberties.

For more than forty years, Alliance for Justice has insisted that America’s courts be served by highly qualified judges who will safeguard the rights of all, not just the wealthy and the powerful.  Therefore, we call on Vice President Biden to include civil rights, public interest, public defenders, and plaintiff lawyers, as well as other lawyers who represent disenfranchised peoples as a part of the proposed commission. Moreover, in establishing the commission, Biden must establish clearly defined goals and priorities, chief among them being developing a set of recommendations for ensuring that the federal judiciary not only reflects the demographic diversity of the nation in its composition, but also the diversity of legal practice and attorneys who have advocated for clients of varying backgrounds in previous roles, and who encompass a range of socioeconomic, sexual, geographic, and racial identities. This is an opportunity to undo the damage Senate Republicans have done to our courts, as well as ensure our courts are representative of the people they serve.

Many solutions for expanding and preserving access to justice have been studied for years, and could be implemented without establishing a commission. We strongly encourage Biden to reduce the anticipated life of the commission from 180 to 90 days. The damage a 6–3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court could do even in that time is a great risk to take.

Our democracy is stronger when the judiciary is comprised of judges who are fair-minded and unbiased, who are committed to the principle of equal justice under the law, and whose backgrounds speak to the full breadth of the American experience. Alliance for Justice Action Campaign looks forward to working with an administration dedicated to ensuring that the judiciary — our third co-equal branch of government — promotes equal justice for all citizens, regardless of wealth or access to power.

WASHINGTON, DC, August 17, 2020 – As the Democratic National Convention convenes this week, the Alliance for Justice Action Campaign encourages speakers to make the courts a pivotal focus alongside addressing the pandemic and mounting economic disaster. Voters remain galvanized by the disgraceful confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and continue to watch President Trump and Senate Republicans stack the courts with over 200 extremist judges – many of whom have expressed a desire to take away healthcare for millions and roll back basic human rights.

AFJ Action President Nan Aron issued the following statement:

“This election is a pivotal moment to stop the erosion of independence and fairness in our federal courts.

The fate of our rights, freedoms, and rule of law could be determined by a single Supreme Court vacancy. The next administration must be prepared, on day one, to undo the damage Trump and Senate Republicans have done to our judicial system and defend the protections we hold dear.

It is painfully obvious that Republicans weaponize the courts to do their dirty work in an attempt to dismantle health care protections, civil rights, and more. With any future legislation that strengthens access to healthcare or civil rights, Republicans will again turn to this dirty trick, so any progressive agenda must prioritize the judiciary in order to safeguard this progress.

Our Building the Bench initiative is identifying and assisting in the confirmation of judges under the next Administration who will serve the cause of justice for all people, not just the wealthy and powerful.”

AFJ Action Campaign will be monitoring the convention and emphasizing why #CourtsMatter on social media, and is available to provide additional commentary and resources on how the courts are critical to protect access to quality health care, rights for women, LGBTQ persons, workers, and consumers, as well as clean air and clean water.

Call your senators at (202) 224-3121. Tell them to oppose Cory Wilson’s nomination to the 5^th Circuit and Trump’s anti-healthcare judges. Then spread the word online with #StopWilson.

Senate Republicans are fast-tracking two of Trump’s most egregious anti-healthcare judges, even as infections and deaths continue to rise amidst the global pandemic. When the Senate should be prioritizing the health and economic needs of the country, on May 20 the Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Cory Wilson’s nomination to the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Not only did Wilson call the Affordable Care Act “illegitimate” and “perverse” and advocated for the Supreme Court to overturn it, but Republicans are rushing to confirm him to the very Circuit that kept alive a lawsuit seeking to rule the entire ACA unconstitutional.

Join us for a day of action on May 20: Call your senators and tell them to #StopWilson.

Republicans are turning to the courts to accomplish what they failed to do in Congress: strip away healthcare protections from millions. Tell your senator today to stop Trump’s anti-healthcare judges – and use the graphics below to help spread the word to #StopWilson.

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 19, 2019 – Following the Democratic primary debate Thursday night, Alliance for Justice Action Campaign President Nan Aron issued the following statement:

“It is critical that voters understand the way President Trump and Senate Republicans have completely reshaped the courts, appointing ultraconservative and unqualified judges to fulfill their extreme agenda. We applaud the debate’s moderators for bringing up this important topic. Senator Amy Klobuchar insisted that vacancies on the federal bench should be filled “right away,” and we couldn’t agree more. The next president must act immediately to start undoing the damage by appointing judges who are prepared to uphold the rule of law.

With 2020 on the horizon, keep in mind the many ultraconservative and unqualified judicial nominees that Senate Republicans have given lifetime appointments. #StopTrumpsTakeover pic.twitter.com/G3aiiqYJcz

— AFJ Action Campaign (@AFJAction) December 19, 2019