Structural Reform and Governance

Courts and Legal Policy

The Courts and Legal Policy team works to advance reforms to make America’s legal system more accessible and just for ordinary people.

A courtroom in Ohio. (Getty/Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge)

What We're Doing

Ensure America's judges reflect its diversity

Despite recent and historic gains, America’s federal judges remain overwhelmingly white and male, and the bench is stacked with those from corporate law backgrounds and former federal prosecutors. Appointing diverse nominees with diverse backgrounds is essential to strengthening the courts.

Modernize the federal bench at all levels

From significant expansion of the lower courts to instituting term limits for Supreme Court justices, it is critical to enact reforms that will ensure that the size of the judiciary and the makeup of the Supreme Court reflect the needs of the American people and the realities of modern life.

Advance access to justice for all people

Too often, justice in America’s courtrooms is only accessible to those with means and in power. The need to expand access to justice has only become more pressing as COVID-19 has exacerbated long-standing legal inequities. All people, regardless of income or status, deserve high-quality legal help.

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Recent Work

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5 Facts About Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Article
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

5 Facts About Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s exemplary background reflects the Biden administration’s commitment to nominating exceptional judges at every level.

Stephanie Wylie, Genna Cifelli

The Climate Needs a Balanced Judiciary Article
A smoky sunset is seen behind the Alameda County Superior Courthouse in Oakland, California, on September 14, 2020. (Getty/East Bay Times/Digital First Media/Jane Tyska)

The Climate Needs a Balanced Judiciary

As litigation continues over efforts to address climate change, it is critical that America’s federal courts include judges with professional expertise advancing climate protection policies.

Maggie Jo Buchanan

It Is Past Time for Congress To Expand the Lower Courts Article
A a statue of blind justice is seen outside the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, September 2016. (Getty/AFP/Brendan Smialowski)

It Is Past Time for Congress To Expand the Lower Courts

Congress must ensure the federal judiciary reflects the needs and diversity of the people it serves.

Maggie Jo Buchanan, Stephanie Wylie

Clean Slate Is Critical for a Healthy Democracy Article
Job seekers line up to enter a job fair at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, on June 19, 2013. (Getty/Digital First Media/Orange County Register/Paul Bersebach)

Clean Slate Is Critical for a Healthy Democracy

The automatic clearing of eligible criminal records can help to foster civic engagement and build a healthier democracy.

Maggie Jo Buchanan, Nick Jacobson

The Trump Administration’s Family Separation Policy Is Over Report
 (Volunteers in Washington, D.C., place teddy bears along a cage as part of a demonstration meant to represent the children still separated from their families as a result of U.S. immigration policies, November 2020.)

The Trump Administration’s Family Separation Policy Is Over

Individual and collective accountability for the family separation policy is needed to hold individuals responsible, restore faith in government institutions, prevent further abuses, and provide appropriate redress.

Maggie Jo Buchanan, Philip E. Wolgin, Claudia Flores

The case for disbarring Rudy Giuliani, other Trump lawyers—and even some lawmakers In the News

The case for disbarring Rudy Giuliani, other Trump lawyers—and even some lawmakers

Author Maggie Jo Buchanan makes the case for disbarring Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's lawyers, and lawmakers who were complicit in the former president's efforts to overturn the election, arguing that professional repercussions are necessary in order for the legal profession's codes of conduct to have any meaning.

Fortune

Maggie Jo Buchanan

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