Today, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. sent letters to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the confirmation of Jia Cobb to serve on the district court for the District of Columbia and Myrna Pérez to serve on the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The role of the federal judge is among the most central to maintaining the rule of law and the preservation of our constitutional democracy. As such, it is important that individuals who serve as judges have a demonstrated commitment to fairness and to upholding the law. Based on their experience, both Ms. Cobb and Ms. Pérez are extremely well suited to serve on the federal bench and LDF urges the Senate to swiftly confirm them both.
Ms. Cobb is an impeccably experienced litigator with a deep understanding of the importance of trial advocacy. Ms. Cobb’s experience as both a public defender and a civil rights litigator would bring much needed professional diversity to the district court. The breadth of her litigation experience and expertise is precisely what is needed to serve as a district court judge. Her record of litigation demonstrates a rigorous work ethic, a commitment to public service and an unwavering commitment to justice that make her well suited for judicial service. LDF urges the Senate Judiciary Committee to confirm Jia Cobb to the district court of the District of Columbia.
For nearly two decades, Ms. Pérez has dedicated her career to strengthening and protecting voting rights, the fair administration of elections, and this nation’s democracy. Myrna Pérez’s record demonstrates a deep and unwavering commitment to the preservation of our constitutional democracy as well as critical experience with complex voting rights and election litigation. Her professional record demonstrates broad qualification– both as a litigator and a legal academic—and a reputation of integrity, rigorous intellect, and compelling analysis. If confirmed, Ms. Pérez would be the only Latina on the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the first on that court since Justice Sonia Sotomayor was elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court. This court is of particular importance to the Legal Defense Fund. Our founder, Thurgood Marshall, was nominated to this court in 1961, and served on the Second Circuit for four years until he was nominated to serve as the U.S. Solicitor General in 1965.
Read the letter in support of Ms. Cobb’s nomination here.
Read the letter in support of Ms. Pérez’ nomination here.
###
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.
