Michael McShane was confirmed Tuesday to the U.S. District Court of Oregon, and is the fifth openly gay federal judge appointed by President Obama. According to the White House, there has only been one other openly gay federal judge in the nation’s history who was confirmed.
76 % of Americans believe campaign contributions have at least some impact on a judge's courtroom decisions.
Source: Justice at Stake national poll
Source: Justice at Stake national poll
Federal News and Releases
In at least 32 states, legislators sponsored measures to restrict consideration of foreign or religious laws in state court decisions between 2010 and 2012, and six states passed such laws.
President Obama has nominated four women for federal judgeships, and the White House blog said each nominee would make history if confirmed.
As Jane Kelly prepared to take the oath on Friday as an Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge, an Associated Press profile labeled her career as a public defender rare for a judge.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously on Thursday in favor of President Obama’s nomination of Principal Deputy Solicitor General Sri Srinivasan to the nation’s second most influential appeals court.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to approve President Obama’s nomination of Sri Srinivasan for the nation’s second most influential appeals court. Learn more from Gavel Grab.
Since October, the majority of the lawyers who appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court were white males. Just 17 percent were women, four were Hispanic and only one was African American.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor appeared on an episode of ABC’s “The View” this week to discuss her memoir, “My Beloved World.”
GOP lawmakers continue to play politics with federal judicial nominees, bringing the confirmation process to a grinding halt, reports MSNBC. On Melissa Harris-Perry Saturday, the host and her guests discussed the problems that have led to a rise in judicial vacancies across the country.
Public officials from California, New York, Alaska, Maine and other states dialed in to a conference call last month to discuss how to address the rise in undisclosed campaign funds that abounded in the 2012 election. Read details in Gavel Grab.
Justice at Stake wrote this letter to the Senate and House leadership urging them to identify a bipartisan solution to allay the damage that sequestration is beginning to cause.
Action by Congress and the president to end flight delays caused by federal budget cuts is piecemeal and fails to address delays in the delivery of justice, Justice at Stake told congressional leaders. Visit Gavel Grab for more.
The Senate confirmed Jane Kelly, an assistant public defender in Iowa, to the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday by a 96-0 vote. Gavel Grab has more.
It’s past time for Congress and the president to collaborate, compromise and fill vacancies on the federal bench, American Bar Association President Laurel Bellows writes. Find out more from Gavel Grab.
Justice at Stake is voicing opposition to new legislation that would shrink the influential federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. from 11 to eight authorized judges. Read details at Gavel Grab.
In a letter to the leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Justice at Stake urges senators to not consider legislation which would eliminate three seats from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
No Republican senator signaled outright opposition, and Sri Srinivasan, a Justice Department official and high-profile judicial nominee, sailed through a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. For more, visit Gavel Grab.
Sen. Charles Grassley, at a high-profile Senate hearing on an appeals court nominee, announced legislation to reduce that influential Washington, D.C.-based court from 11 to eight judges. Gavel Grab has details.
Steve Nolder, director of the public defender’s office in southern Ohio, chose to fire himself instead of other lawyers after his office’s budget was slashed this year. See Gavel Grab for more.
The nation is facing “political paralysis” in the Senate over judicial confirmations, and it is time to consider bolder options to resolve the stalemate, a New York Times editorial declared. Read more in Gavel Grab.
The White House has launched a new offensive to win confirmation of lawyer Sri Srinivasan for the second most influential U.S. appeals court, and President Obama has become personally engaged. Learn details from Gavel Grab.
The federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to same-sex couples who are married, came under skeptical questioning from a five-person majority of the Supreme Court. Gavel Grab has more.
A new chapter in America’s legal and social history opened when the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday over the constitutionality of marriage for gay men and for lesbians. See Gavel Grab for more.
Reduced hours, possible furloughs and delays for civil cases are just a few of the upcoming changes faced by federal courts as new budget cuts take effect. Read more from Gavel Grab.
For the second time in less than two years, Senate Republicans have blocked President Obama’s nomination of Caitlin Halligan to the nation’s second most influential court. Gavel Grab has more.
