(Washington, D.C.) – President Joe Biden announced the nomination of Myrna Pérez to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which hears cases from New York, Connecticut, and Vermont on Tuesday. Pérez is the director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.
The following is a statement from Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:
“With voter suppression laws on the rise, we need strong voting rights and civil rights champions on the federal bench who are committed to equal justice under law. Myrna Pérez is an exceptionally qualified attorney and has an unassailable record when it comes to protecting the fundamental right to vote. We commend Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for recognizing her extensive expertise and qualifications to serve in the federal judiciary. We also applaud the Biden administration’s commitment to diversifying the ranks of the federal bench by nominating civil rights champions and people of color, and urge the Senate to swiftly confirm Ms. Pérez.
“Across the country, anti-voter politicians are seeking to roll back 60 years of progress on expanding access to the ballot box, and voting rights advocates are increasingly turning to the courts for relief. It is imperative that our federal judges have voting rights experience and a commitment to equal justice under law to ensure Black Americans and other people of color are not denied the right to vote.”
###
About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.
