For Immediate Release                                         January 28, 2008

Contact: Jesse Rutledge, 202-588-9454

Justice at Stake Adds Two Federal Judges to Board, Announces Staffing Changes

WASHINGTON, DC – The Justice at Stake Campaign, a national nonpartisan partnership of more than 50 organizations dedicated to safeguarding fair, impartial and independent courts, today announced the election of federal judges Charles Clevert of Wisconsin and John Jones of Pennsylvania to its board of directors.  They are the first two federal judges to serve on the Justice at Stake board, and join three state judges and one former judge in filling out a board that also includes distinguished academics, policy experts and business leaders. 

Judge Clevert has served as a federal district judge in the eastern district of Wisconsin since 1996.  Before that, he served for eighteen years as a bankruptcy judge, and before that as an assistant district attorney and assistant U.S. Attorney.  He has chaired the American Bar Association’s National Conference of Federal Trial Judges and served on the board of the American Judicature Society, and has been active with the active with the Judicial Conference of the United States and the Federal Judicial Center.  Judge Clevert was appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton.  

Judge Jones has served as a federal district judge in the middle district of Pennsylvania since 2002.  He is probably best known for his opinion in Kitzmiller v. Dover, striking down the instruction of “intelligent design” in schools.  He not only survived the backlash of attacks after that decision, but has since been active around the country highlighting that controversy to educate Americans on the importance of keeping courts fair, impartial and independent.  In addition to 22 years in private practice, he has served in the Schuylkill County Public Defender’s Office and as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.  He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Commission on Judicial Independence.  Judge Jones was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush.

In November 2007, Justice at Stake announced the election of Thomas Gottschalk to its board.  Mr. Gottschalk is Of Counsel with Kirkland & Ellis in Washington, DC.  From 1994-2006 he served as General Counsel to General Motors Corporation.  The three recent additions bring to 12 the number of directors currently serving on the Justice at Stake board.

At the staff level, Justice at Stake announced that Rita Aguilar is joining the group as its new Director of Federal Courts Programs and Legislative Counsel.  Aguilar has worked for more than five years at the American Bar Association, including four years in the Governmental Affairs Office.  She sits on the Virginia Council on the Status of Women and Arlington County Human Rights Commission and recently completed a Fellowship with the University of Virginia's Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.   Her educational background includes a JD from the University of Texas School of Law and LLM from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. 

Finally, Jesse Rutledge, who joined the group in 2004 as Director of Communications, has been promoted to Deputy Executive Director.     

Justice at Stake’s 50 partners include the American Bar Association, the National Center for State Courts, the U.S. League of Women Voters, the Committee for Economic Development, and a host of state groups.  A complete list of Justice at Stake partners and board members is available online at justiceatstake.org.