WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, President Donald Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill Justice Antonin Scalia’s vacant seat on the Supreme Court of the United States. Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee) issued the following statement in response:
“Our country sits on the brink of constitutional crisis. Our nation deserves a Supreme Court nominee who will be faithful in upholding the Constitution of the United States, and fair in their interpretation and application of federal civil rights laws. As we have done with all nominees, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law will conduct an extensive evaluation of Judge Gorsuch’s jurisprudence and full record to determine whether he is qualified to sit on our nation’s highest court.
Looming over this moment is the fact that the current Supreme Court vacancy is the result of more than 300 days of tremendous political obstruction that has undermined the integrity of the Court as an institution. Thus, any new Justice must be someone who will restore the standing of the Court, while bringing true independence to the role.
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law will issue a full report regarding the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch. As a preliminary matter, we note that Judge Gorsuch has placed support for employers’ religious freedoms over the constitutional rights of employees. We urge the Senate to fully scrutinize and exhaustively examine Judge Gorsuch’s record.”
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. Formed over 50 years ago, we continue our quest of “Moving America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice under law, particularly in the areas of fair housing and community development; economic justice; voting; education; and criminal justice. For more information about the Lawyers’ Committee, visit www.lawyerscommittee.org.
CONTACT:
Stacie Burgess
Director of Communications and External Affairs
sburgess@lawyerscommittee.org
202-662-8317
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