Read a PDF of our statement here.
Today’s Senate vote requires attention and reflection. Too often, those being confirmed to serve on some of the most esteemed and powerful courts in the country possess disqualifying professional records and characteristics that inhibit them from serving as fair and impartial guardians against injustice. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), and many other civil rights groups, are concerned about this trajectory.
“When Americans engage in court proceedings – especially those involving civil rights claims – they should rest assured that these proceedings will be overseen by a fair and impartial judge who will ensure they receive equal justice under the law,” said Sherrilyn Ifill, LDF’s President and Director-Counsel. “Confirming unqualified individuals to serve as judges is a disservice to the American people and to the preservation of a fair and just American judiciary.”
“Judges, as fair arbiters adhering to robust judicial principles, inherently act as bulwarks against inequality and maltreatment,” Lisa Cylar Barrett, LDF’s Director of Policy, added. “When individuals engage with the court system, they should never have to be concerned about the credentials of the judge presiding over their case. It is utterly unacceptable for unqualified judges to even receive a nomination, let alone make it to the bench.”
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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 and 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.
