Washington, D.C. — National activists will gather in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 1 and 2 for the 2017 Courts Matter Convening, co-hosted by the Center for American Progress and the National Council of Jewish Women. The convening will bring together some of the country’s leading activists for a federal judiciary that respects the freedoms and liberties protected by our Constitution. Activists from 20 states will strategize resistance to the extremist judges that the Trump administration intends to put on the bench and plan education and resistance activities around the country.
The convening will feature some of the country’s leading experts on Senate judicial confirmation procedures; messaging and communications; and field and coalition building. Although the convening is not open to press, activists and leaders from all over the country participating as speakers and panelists will be available for press interviews, including:
- Igor Volsky, Deputy Director, Center for American Progress
- Jody Rabhan, Director of Washington Operations, National Council of Jewish Women
- Ellen Buchman, Executive Vice President for Field & Communications at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
- Josh Dorner, Senior Vice President at SKDKnickerbocker
- Alan Franklin, Political Director at Progress Now Colorado
- Verna Mandez, Community Organizer for Battle Born Progress in Nevada
- Monica Moran, Managing Director at ProgressOhio
- Jeremy Paris, former Chief Counsel for Nominations and Oversight for former Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy
- Symone Sanders, Strategist and political commentator and former Press Secretary for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign
- Eliza Townsend, Executive Director of the Maine Women’s Policy Center
To coordinate an interview or for more information, please contact Tanya Arditi at [email protected] or 202-741-6258.