Washington, DC (April 7, 2022) – NACDL celebrates the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson based on her unassailable qualifications. NACDL, however, notes that we have a long way to go to achieve meaningful diversity in the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary and therefore calls on President Biden to continue to nominate highly qualified members of the defense bar to the bench. Diverse perspectives on the bench, including the voices of former defenders, are fundamental to ensuring that our courts understand the workings of the criminal legal system and its impact on the lives of individuals and on our communities. The Constitution demands no less than this – judges who will protect individual rights based on real lived experience in the well of the courtroom.
Contacts
Jessie Diamond, Public Affairs and Communications Associate, (202) 465-7647 or jdiamond@nacdl.org
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's many thousands of direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal legal system.