For Immediate Release                                    Aug. 12, 2008

Contact: Charles W. Hall of Justice at Stake, 202-588-9454, chall@justiceatstake.org

Justice at Stake Praises Proposal for Bipartisan Commissions To Identify High-Quality Judges

A national watchdog group dedicated to fair and impartial courts praised a proposal by the American Bar Association to reduce partisanship in the process for appointing federal judges.

The plan, approved unanimously Monday by the ABA House of Delegates, urges senators in each state to form bipartisan commissions to review and suggest the most professionally qualified candidates for openings in the federal courts. The ABA resolution also urged future presidents to consult closely with a state’s leaders before nominating new judges.

"Decades of Beltway politics have brought us gridlock and guerrilla warfare instead of principled confirmations—and deterred good candidates from across the political spectrum," said Bert Brandenburg, executive director of the Justice at Stake Campaign. "The ABA has crafted a responsible plan to make it harder for partisan agendas to elbow aside the rule of law."

The plan, discussed by new ABA President H. Thomas Wells Jr. at a press conference Monday in New York, would be voluntary. At present, senators in two states have used such commissions, and Wells said they have eased partisan divisions.

"All of our leaders want our court system to remain the envy of the world and be filled with the best and brightest legal minds our country has to offer," Wells told reporters. "We hope to bridge the partisan divide that has grown over many years and offer government a way forward."

Brandenburg said that Justice at Stake, a nonpartisan national campaign with 50 partner organizations, would work with ABA leaders to make the case for bipartisan nominating commissions for federal judges.

"Judges are not politicians in robes, nor are they prizes to be won by aggressive special interests," Brandenburg said. "The courts play a special role in protecting the rights of every American. The ABA’s plan will help keep courts fair and impartial."

Further information on the ABA proposal can be found at http://www.abanet.org/abanet/media/release/news_release.cfm?releaseid=431.