Judges who serve in lifetime seats on the federal courts make decisions that impact women, children, and families.  From the schools we can attend to whom we can marry, federal judges impact every aspect of our lives.

At NCJW, we know #CourtsMatter. Nominees should be fair, independent, and qualified.  

Our courts, by the numbers

(as of March 31, 2021)
74%
of all sitting judges are white…
…

with white men making up 60% of the federal bench.

51%
of the population are women…
…

yet only 33% of the federal bench

43%
of people living in America are people of color…
…

yet make up only 26% of the federal bench.

Dismantling legacies of white supremacy means creating a federal judiciary that accurately reflects our communities’ demographic and professional diversity. That’s why NCJW works for qualified, fair, and independent judges from various backgrounds to ensure our courts serve the people.

Because #CourtsMatter, NCJW believes all federal judges must be:

Fair

Do they respect equality and justice for all and understand the impact of the law on everyone?

Independent

Are they impartial, nonpartisan, and not influenced by outside parties or interests?

Qualified

Have they been objectively assessed for their experience, competence, principles, and temperament?

...and the diversity of the federal bench should reflect our society

Meet a Federal Judicial Nominee

Tiffany Cunningham

Nominated for a Lifetime Position to:
US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
NCJW Supports Tiffany Cunningham to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

NCJW Supports Tiffany Cunningham. Here’s why:  Tiffany Cunningham is a registered patent attorney before the US Patent and Trademark office with over 20 years of experience in patent and intellectual property law. She also holds a BS in Chemical Engineering in addition to a law degree. Cunningham would bring a critical perspective as a trained … Continued

Fair? Yes
Independent? Yes
Qualified? Yes
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Candace Jackson-Akiwumi

Nominated for a Lifetime Position to:
US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
NCJW Supports Candace Jackson-Akiwumi to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

NCJW supports Candace Jackson-Akiwumi. Here’s why: Candace Jackson-Akiwumi has spent her career focused on the most vulnerable, from serving on a law school team that challenged a death row inmate’s sentence to working as a public defender for ten years in Chicago. She has argued cases related to immigration, sentencing, and the Fourth Amendment (search … Continued

Fair? Yes
Independent? Yes
Qualified? Yes
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Ketanji Brown Jackson

Nominated for a Lifetime Position to:
US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit
NCJW Supports Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit

NCJW Supports Ketanji Brown Jackson. Here’s why: Ketanji Brown Jackson has a wealth of experience, having served as a federal district court judge in Washington, DC, since 2013. A former public defender, assistant special counsel on the US Sentencing Commission, and law clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer, Jackson has a history of supporting reproductive health … Continued

Fair? Yes
Independent? Yes
Qualified? Yes
Learn More
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