Today, the Biden administration announced the nominations of a diverse group of 14 new judicial nominees to fill district court vacancies, including Dale Ho, a former attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF). A judicial system with fair, impartial, and competent judges is essential in the fight for the dignity and humanity of Black Americans and other communities of color.
In response to today’s announcement, Sherrilyn Ifill, LDF’s President and Director-Counsel, issued the following statement:
“We are pleased that the Biden administration continues to advance qualified and diverse sets of judicial nominees and are especially glad to see the administration continue to nominate attorneys who have spent their careers defending civil rights. This diversity of lived and professional experience is essential to having a judicial system with perspectives that reflect our nation. The prospect of having more judges with first-hand experience defending civil rights is also encouraging.
“We are especially pleased to see Dale E. Ho, a former Assistant Counsel at LDF and the Director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Throughout his LDF tenure, from his one-year Fried Frank Civil Rights Fellowship to his four-plus years as Assistant Counsel, Mr. Ho’s exemplary work ethic and commitment to protecting and advancing civil rights were readily apparent. His professionalism, commitment to the rule of law, voting rights expertise, and experience as a trial lawyer make him uniquely well-qualified to serve on the federal bench.
“Today’s list of nominees also includes selections who, if confirmed, would bring with them to the bench a wide-range of perspectives and experiences that can inform their decision-making. We urge the United States Senate to immediately consider and advance President Biden’s nominations, whose knowledge and skills will greatly benefit both the federal judiciary and U.S. democracy.”
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Follow LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
