The Supreme Court’s term ended in familiar fashion with the justices saving their most cruel, inhumane, and unconstitutional rulings for last. On June 29th, the Court effectively ended the use of af rmative action in higher education admissions, trampling precedent and ending a nearly 70-year march toward an integrated society. Then, on June 30th, the Court ruled that it is acceptable for businesses to discriminate and deny service to members of the LGBTQ+ community, reversing another decades-long commitment to equal access to public accommodations—and without any sound legal justi cation.
And last, on the same day, they rejected President Biden’s debt forgiveness plan, saddling tens of thousands of Americans with debt that serves no public interest while overstepping their proper constitutional role. It was a tough way to start summer.
We are, like you, deeply saddened. But we are not deterred.
After a few weeks on vacation re-centering on our common purpose and vision for the future, I am more con dent than ever that we have the strategy, people, and community necessary to push back
against these outrages This past year was replete with victories that de nitively demonstrate that all is not lost—in fact, we are making progress amid these setbacks
Read on for excellent news on more con rmations of diverse, highly quali ed judicial nominees committed to equal justice, the Bolder Advocacy team’s work to equip and empower nonpro t organizations across the nation with the tools to ght back, the latest work on the ground from our State Court Justice Project, and much more
And tomorrow, Wednesday, July 19th at 2PM ET, join me, podcast host and activist DeRay Mckesson, and Prairie Rivers Network Executive Director Maggie Bruns in conversation with author Ken Grossinger on his new book ArtWorks:HowOrganizersandArtistsareCreatingaBetterWorld Together. Register to be a part of this conversation here.
Yours in the ght, Rakim SignourJusticeThomasResignpetition.
Federal Courts
Senate Democrats con rmed some fantastic civil rights champions this past week Last week, Tiffany Cartwright (W.D. Wash.), and Judge Myong Joun (D. Mass.) were con rmed. Rachel Bloomekatz (6thCir, Ohio) has a nal vote scheduled for later today
Tiffany Cartwright is an experienced civil rights and employment litigator, who has dedicated her career to ensuring that our legal system works for all. She will also be the rst woman to serve as a federal district court judge from the Tacoma, Washington courthouse. Her nomination had been pending since January 2022.
Judge Myong Joun dedicated his career in litigation to criminal defense and civil rights and already has nearly a decade of experience on the bench Judge Joun would make an excellent judge for the District of Massachusetts He brings a wealth of experiences—that of an immigrant, a veteran, and a judge—to the bench
One of the nation’s leading appellate advocates, Rachel Bloomekatz has devoted her career to advancing equal justice and is exceptionally quali ed to serve on, and bring diversity to, the Sixth Circuit, which has tended to lean conservative Bloomekatz has worked in both the public and private sectors as well as for both plaintiffs and defendants In that time, she upheld and protected the rights of all people, an orientation that is much needed on the bench
State Courts
Multiple state supreme court vacancies were announced recently, and AFJ's state courts team will be watching closely. Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea announced that she will step down from the bench this fall Missouri Supreme Court Judge George W Draper III, the second Black judge to ever serve on the court, will retire in August In West Virginia, Supreme Court Justice John Hutchison announced that he will not seek reelection beyond his current term which expires at the end of next year In Massachusetts, Supreme Judicial Court Justice Elspeth Cypher announced that she will retire in January.
In Oregon, Governor Tina Kotek released the names of 13 nalists for the Supreme Court vacancy created by the con rmation of former justice Adrienne Nelson to the US District Court for the District of Oregon Importantly, the slate includes multiple candidates with direct experience ghting for civil rights and protecting individuals’ freedoms
Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza Aron Senior Justice Counsel
