NCJW opposes Zachary Bluestone. Here’s why:
With less than 10 years of legal experience, Zachary Bluestone falls below the threshold typically required for a “qualified” judicial nominee rating by the nonpartisan American Bar Association. His record in Missouri’s highly politicized Federalism Unit — where he took part in efforts to roll back protections for health care, workers, and public safety — raises serious concerns about his judgment and independence. At his confirmation hearing, Mr. Bluestone refused to affirm basic constitutional principles and evaded questions about the 2020 election and January 6, further calling into question his fitness for a lifetime judicial appointment.
Zachary Bluestone’s stance on important issues:
Criminal Justice Reform:
Mr. Bluestone has shown a pattern of defending police misconduct in the face of potential accountability. In one case, he argued that a man who had previously won $2.5 million in a civil rights lawsuit after being wrongfully arrested and prosecuted by two police officers was not entitled to reimbursement through Missouri’s state legal expense fund.
Economic Justice:
During his time at the Missouri Attorney General’s office, Mr. Bluestone defended a state law that classified most state employees as “at will,” restricting their ability to engage in collective bargaining and eliminating many of the job-related benefits and protections they had previously held.
Gun Violence Prevention:
Mr. Bluestone represented the state of Missouri in opposing a blanket ban on all firearms on the University of Missouri campus.
Education and Career Highlights:
Zachary Bluestone is appellate chief and a violent crimes prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri. Mr. Bluestone previously served in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office as Deputy Solicitor General. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Bluestone served as a law clerk to Judge Raymond Gruender of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Mr. Bluestone earned his BS, summa cum laude, from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, his MBA from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, and his JD from Harvard Law School, where he served as Managing Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy.