Durbin Meets With NAACP Legal Defense Fund President

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today met with Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF).  During today’s meeting, Durbin and Ms. Nelson discussed the Committee’s efforts to confirm both demographically and professionally diverse judges, as well as Durbin’s continued efforts on criminal justice reform and other topics.

“It was great to meet with Janai Nelson today, who has a connection to my home state as she previously clerked for Judge David Coar on the Northern District of Illinois,” Durbin said.  “We spoke about a number of our shared priorities, including advancing as many highly-qualified federal judges to the bench before the end of the calendar year as possible.  I’m thankful for her leadership at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and look forward to working with her.”  

To date, the Senate has confirmed 87 Article III judges.  Eighteen Article III judges are pending on the Executive Calendar, as well as an additional four nominees who received a tie vote in Committee and require a discharge vote on the floor.

To date, 109 Article III judges have been voted out of Committee.  Five judicial nominees received a hearing today, and twelve nominees will be eligible for a vote in Committee tomorrow.        

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