WASHINGTON, D.C., August 5, 2021 – This morning the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12–10 to advance the nomination of Myrna Pérez to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Her nomination will soon proceed to final cloture and confirmation votes by the full Senate.
As director of the Brennan Center at New York University School of Law’s Voting Rights and Election Program, Pérez is an extremely well qualified civil rights attorney, and she is widely respected as one of the nation’s leading experts on voting rights and fair elections. Pérez has served as counsel in at least 54 cases across the country, including before the U.S. Supreme Court and numerous federal circuit courts of appeal. She played a major role in the preparation of six amici curiae briefs to the Supreme Court, including one defending the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder. Pérez began her legal career by completing clerkships for Judge Anita B. Brody on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, as well as Judge Julio M. Fuentes for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
When confirmed, Pérez will be the first Latina judge to serve on the Second Circuit since Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed to the Supreme Court over a decade ago.
Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron issued the following statement:
“For generations, judges with backgrounds in critical areas of the law such as civil rights and voting rights have made up just a small minority of the federal bench. Given this sad history, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s decision to move the nomination of Myrna Pérez forward represents a landmark moment in President Biden’s effort to bring true demographic and professional diversity to the judiciary, especially as voting rights have become one of the most pressing issues of our time.
“Given her extensive experience and breadth of knowledge, confirming Myrna Pérez is a no-brainer. We’ve seen how much damage our courts can do to democracy, and having judges with experience as civil rights attorneys is essential to ensuring our constitutional rights and legal protections are properly applied. We look forward to her swift confirmation on the Senate floor.”