Community Leaders from Across the Country Head to the White House

Next Monday, May 7, 150 community leaders from 27 states will travel to Washington to meet with White House officials about the vacancy crisis in America’s federal courts. Nearly one out of every ten federal judgeships remains vacant, and more than 250 million Americans live in a community with a courtroom vacancy.

A deal between Senate Republicans and Democrats to allow judicial nominations to proceed in the Senate expires May 7th, and the community leaders are urging the Senate to hold final up-or-down votes on all pending nominees.

After the White House meeting, the community leaders will visit the offices of key senators to urge them to work to end the delays that have plagued the Senate confirmation process since the beginning of the Obama presidency.  The community leaders hope their conversations in Washington will help national leaders understand how harmful the confirmation delays have been to Americans who are seeking justice.

For more information on the judicial vacancy crisis and Republican obstruction, see AFJ's new report, The State of the Judiciary: Judicial Selection During the Remainder of President Obama’s First Term.