Earlier this month, Judge Kenneth Hoyt took senior status from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, leaving only two active African American judges on Texas federal courts. Texas is a diverse state: 12 percent of the population is African American and 38 percent is Hispanic. Of the 46 active federal district court judges in Texas, only two are African American, 14 are Hispanic and 14 are female.
A diverse federal bench improves the quality of justice and instills confidence that judges understand the real-world implications of their decisions. Hoyt taking senior status means there are six district court vacancies in Texas that need to be filled. We must take this opportunity to fill these vacancies with diverse candidates.
Please join the National Bar Association, Texas League of Young Voters Education Fund, Progress Texas, Texans for a Fair Judiciary and Legal Progress at the Center for American Progress for a discussion on this critical issue.
Panelists:
Dannye Holley
Dean and Professor of Law
Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Heather Busby
Executive Director
NARAL Texas
Carmen Watkins
Regional Director
NAACP
Rogene Gee Calvert
Director
Outreach Strategists
Justine K. Fanarof
Counsel, Anti-Defamation League Southwest Region
Moderator:
Matt Glazer
Executive Director
Progress Texas
A light lunch will be served.