Senate

This time last month, the Senate was about to get back to work after Labor Day, and there were twenty judicial nominees ready for a vote. Clearing those twenty – some of whom had been waiting for Senate action for months – in the month of September seemed like a reasonable goal. The Senate is out of session for the remainder of this week, after it reached a compromise to keep the government funded, so we’re effectively at the end of September, as far as the Senate is concerned. So how’d the Senate do on judges? Read more »

Last night, the Senate confirmed Bernice Bouie Donald to a seat on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals – adding diversity and excellence to that court. Judge Donald, who previously served as a federal district court judge in Tennessee, was confirmed by a vote of 96-2. She had the support of both home-state, Republican senators, and was voted out of the Judiciary Committee without opposition. Notwithstanding, her nomination did not receive a floor vote for four months because of the unprecedented obstruction of a minority of Senators. Read more »

This week, the Senate returns from its August recess. With all of the needs confronting the nation, it is unconscionable that because of a determined minority, included on its must-do list is a large number of unaddressedjudicial nominations that have been piling up. Despite 92 federal judicial vacancies, 37 of which are deemed judicial emergencies, the Senate left town without taking action on 20 judicial nominees, many of whom were approved without any opposition whatsoever by the Senate Judiciary Committee, and have been waiting for a Senate vote for months. Read more »

The following is a statement by Marcia D. Greenberger and Nancy Duff Campbell, Co-Presidents of the National Women’s Law Center, following the Senate’s vote not to invoke cloture and end debate on the nomination of Goodwin H. Liu to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.   Read more »

As the lame duck session of Congress draws to a close, it's essential that the Senate confirm Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Read more »

Professor Liu is exceptionally qualified, possesses a brilliant legal mind, and has demonstrated his commitment to public service. He was unanimously rated “well-qualified” by the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary and has bipartisan support. As Professor of Law and Associate Dean at U.C. Read more »