The Center for American Progress will discuss in detail the disparities in re-election rates for judges of color—particularly black and Latino judges—and white judges, as well as the alarming effects of judicial campaign cash on these disparities.
Washington, D.C. — Judges of color face unique obstacles in judicial elections, according to a report to be released by the Center for American Progress on Monday, October 26, 2015. These obstacles will also be the main subject of a panel of judges and experts, which will be kicked off with a keynote by Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-NC), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and a former justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court. The report and panel will explore disparities that raise alarming questions about how judicial elections affect diversity on the bench. For example, since 2000, white incumbents have had a 90 percent re-election rate compared with 80 percent for black justices and a mere 66 percent for Latino justices.
In many states, diverse justices were appointed to the bench, only to lose their seats in the next election. During the event, panelists will discuss the report’s recommendations for reforms that could help foster diversity on the bench, such as public financing for judicial campaigns and programs that would expand the pipeline of diverse lawyers who could become judges.
Please join CAP on Monday, October 26, at 12:00 p.m. for this event. Members of the media can RSVP here.
WHO:
Welcoming remarks:
Angela Maria Kelley, Senior Vice President, Center for American Progress
Keynote remarks:
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Member of Congress, North Carolina’s 1st District
Featured panelists:
Kate Berry, Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice
Steven C. González, Justice, Washington State Supreme Court
Pema Levy, Reporter, Mother Jones
Yvette McGee Brown, former Justice, Ohio Supreme Court; Partner-in-Charge of Diversity, Inclusion and Advancement, Jones Day
Moderated by:
Michele L. Jawando, Vice President, Legal Progress, Center for American Progress
WHEN:
Monday, October 26, 2015
12:00 p.m. ET – 1:30 p.m. ET
A light lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m.
WHERE:
Center for American Progress
1333 H St. NW, 10th Floor
Washington, D.C., 20005
For more information, contact Tanya S. Arditi at [email protected] or 202.741.6258.
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