AFJ PLEDGES TO WORK WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA ON A “ROBUST JUSTICE AGENDA”

Washington DC (November 7)—Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s re-election:

We are thrilled that President Obama has won a second term.  We congratulate him on his victory and we are ready to work with him to set a progressive justice agenda that truly will move America forward.

We look forward to working with the president on a robust justice agenda.  That agenda must include a renewed commitment to civil liberties and leaving a legacy of judicial appointments that support our values of fairness and equal justice under law.

Restoring fairness and balance to the federal judiciary involves not just the Supreme Court, which typically hears fewer than 100 cases per year, but also the circuit courts of appeal, which hear some 60,000 cases and district courts which hear thousands more.

Alliance for Justice will work with the Administration to nominate judges who have an unwavering commitment to the rights of everyday Americans and who will serve as effective counterweights to the extremely conservative majority that currently dominates our federal judiciary.

AFJ’s agenda includes:

• Ethics reform for the Supreme Court, to ensure that all justices conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the responsibilities of their office and the expectations of the public.
• An expansion of our campaign to expose the threat the Supreme Court’s radical conservative majority poses to the social, economic, and legal progress of the past 75 years.
• The selection of nominees for the federal bench who reflect the full diversity of the legal profession, including those who have held positions in public service, the criminal defense bar, and public interest law.
• The selection of nominees who respect the constitutional role played by Congress in preserving and protecting the progress made in racial justice, women’s rights and individual liberties.
• Reforms to the confirmation process in the Senate that will thwart the unprincipled tactics of obstruction that have weakened the ability of the federal courts to deliver justice to the American people.
• Working to strengthen the architecture of our democracy and foster civic engagement by equipping an energized nonprofit community to advocate assertively for policies that foster social justice.

Alliance for Justice Alliance for Justice is a national association of more than 100 organizations, representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society. Through our justice programs, we lead the progressive community in the fight for a fair judiciary, and through our advocacy programs, we help nonprofits and foundations to realize their advocacy potential.