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For more information, contact Richard Wexler, Media Relations Manager, at richard.wexler@afj.org or (202) 464-7371.
STATEMENT OF AFJ PRESIDENT NAN ARON ON SENATE RULES REFORM AGREEMENT
01/24/13
While we are particularly happy to see long-overdue changes to the rules governing filibusters of district court nominees, we remain disappointed that circuit court nominations remain subject to the kind of destructive obstruction that has characterized President Obama’s first term. Limiting post-cloture debate to two hours serves as an implicit acknowledgement of the unprecedented degree to which Republicans have inappropriately used procedural weapons to delay and derail these important nominations. This agreement holds out hope that some degree of comity may now return to the Senate for district court nominees, but at the same time we urge Senate leaders to use every tool at their disposal to prevent the widespread obstruction of circuit court nominees that has characterized the past four years.
Read More »AFJ: ROE DECISION IS REMINDER OF IMPORTANCE OF SUPREME COURT TO EVERY AMERICAN
01/16/13
Tuesday’s anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade drives home the importance of the Supreme Court in our daily lives. A change of one vote on the Court in the wrong direction could set back set back advances made by women. A change of one vote the right way can solidify the gains of the past four decades.
Read More »NAN ARON: SUPREME COURT CAN BEND THE ARC OF HISTORY TOWARD JUSTICE BY STRIKING DOWN DOMA
12/07/12
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear a group of cases in which the stakes could not be higher. If the Court strikes down Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), it will make millions of legally-married same-sex couples truly equal in the eyes of the federal government. It will do the same for same-sex couples who want to marry in the future. A ruling against Section 3 would send an important message: The nation’s highest court refuses to countenance discrimination. But it also would have immediate, concrete benefits.
Read More »AFJ: McCONNELL “SELF-FILIBUSTER” ILLUSTRATES HOW GOP TURNS IT INTO “WEAPON OF MASS OBSTRUCTION”
12/07/12
The spectacle of the Minority Leader of the United States Senate filibustering his own bill perfectly illustrates the extent to which the filibuster has been abused for purely partisan purposes, according to the Alliance for Justice.
Read More »NEW REPORT FROM AFJ BLASTS IMPACT OF REPUBLICANS’ “CEASELESS OBSTRUCTION OF JUDICIAL NOMINEES”
11/19/12
Ceaseless obstruction of judicial nominees” has left the federal bench with more vacancies than when President Obama first took office, according to a new study from the Alliance for Justice. “The Republican record gives new meaning to the term ‘obstruction of justice’” said AFJ president Nan Aron. “When vacancies go unfilled, Americans wait months, sometimes years to get a chance to stand up for their rights in court. Some lose that chance entirely.” AFJ’s report, Unfinished Business provides the best publicly-available information on judicial nominations. It includes comprehensive statistics on President Obama’s judicial nominees since the beginning of his administration, the Senate’s confirmation process, and comparative data comparing the first-term records of the Obama, Bush, and Clinton administrations.
Read More »OOPS, THEY'RE DOING IT AGAIN: ANOTHER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE FLOUTS ETHICAL STANDARDS
11/16/12
For the second year in a row, a justice of the Supreme Court has flouted judicial ethics by headlining a fundraising gala for a lawyers group, the Alliance for Justice and Common Cause said Friday. Justice Samuel Alito was a featured speaker at the “30th Anniversary Gala Dinner” of the Federalist Society on Thursday night. Alito’s appearance was the drawing card for the $175-dollar-a-plate event, the society’s website indicates.
Read More »AFJ PRAISES OBAMA JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS
11/14/12
We are pleased that, so soon after re-election, President Obama appears to be making it a top priority to fill longstanding vacancies on the federal courts. President Obama says that these nominees “have demonstrated the talent, expertise, and fair-mindedness Americans expect and deserve from their judicial system. They also represent my continued commitment to ensure that the judiciary resembles the nation it serves.” We agree.
Read More »“KEYSTONE IN THE ARCH OF PROTECTION” FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR AT ISSUE AS SUPREME COURT AGREES TO HEAR CHALLENGE TO KEY PROVISION OF VOTING RIGHTS ACT
11/09/12
Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to hear a challenge to a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 means the court will be focusing on the keystone in the arch of protection for people of color in America - the law that guarantees the right to vote. The case will be argued before a Chief Justice, John Roberts, who has shown profound hostility to the Voting Rights Act during his legal career. While serving in the Reagan Administration, Roberts was a driving force behind Administration efforts to significantly weaken the Act. His push to weaken the law went beyond internal memos and other writings. He actively encouraged the Administration to publicly embrace and widely endorse his call for a weaker law – drafting numerous talking points, question-and-answer documents and op ed columns.
Read More »AFJ PLEDGES TO WORK WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA ON A “ROBUST JUSTICE AGENDA”
11/07/12
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.
Read More »AFJ RECEIVES TOP RATING FROM INDEPENDENT CHARITY MONITOR
10/12/12
“Alliance for Justice outperforms most other charities in America,” wrote Ken Berger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Charity Navigator, in a letter announcing the rating. “This ‘exceptional’ designation from Charity Navigator differentiates Alliance for Justice from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust.”
Read More »AFJ URGES DEBATE MODERATORS TO PRESS CANDIDATES ON SUPREME COURT NOMINEES
10/02/12
As the United States Supreme Court begins its new term, and with the first presidential candidates’ debate scheduled for tomorrow night, the Alliance for Justice is urging the moderators of the debates to press the candidates for answers about the kinds of people they would nominate to the Court.
Read More »ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE RELEASES “SUPREME COURT PREVIEW”
09/27/12
The United States Supreme Court term that starts Monday is packed with cases with the potential to restrict corporate accountability and limit everyday Americans’ civil rights and access to justice. According to a report released today by the Alliance for Justice “the majority on the court is likely to live down to its full potential,” says AFJ President Nan Aron.
Read More »ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE RELEASES DOCUMENTARY, LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AGAINST BIG BUSINESS INFLUENCE ON THE SUPREME COURT
09/27/12
Unequal Justice chronicles a 40-year campaign by corporate special interests to put the thumb of big business on the scales of justice. The campaign has its origins in a profoundly-influential memo written in 1971 by corporate lawyer Lewis Powell, just months before he himself was named to the court by President Richard Nixon. The memo urged the business community to fight what was then a burgeoning consumer and environmental movement.
Read More »AFJ Blasts Senate Republicans for "Massive Denial of Justice"
09/20/12
Of the almost two dozen nominees to fill vacancies in United States District Courts and Circuit Courts of Appeal already approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee – nearly all with overwhelming bipartisan support - the Senate was able to confirm only 1 in September.
Read More »AFJ Releases "The Connection"
09/20/12
Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy initiative today announced the release of a new edition of its popular guide, The Connection. With its clear explanation of the differences between and the laws governing 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, and political organizations, The Connection is an invaluable resource for nonprofit staff, especially for those nonprofits working in coalition with others. It is available for free here: http://bolderadvocacy.org/the-connection.
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