Justin Smith is a Trump true believer who demonstrates unfettered loyalty to him. His biased statements show he doesn't possess the judicial independence necessary to preside over a federal court that covers seven states. The Senate must reject his nomination. #StopJustinSmith #UnfitAndUnqualified
"27 of the 51 judges on the 9th Circuit actually wrote that Judge VanDyke's crude and vitriolic language made them sound like juveniles, not judges, and it undermines public trust in the courts. And ultimately, that's what this is about, right?" – @rachelrossi.bsky.social www.npr.org/2026/04/09/n...
During her short career, Trump loyalist Katie Lane has demonstrated a disturbing commitment to undermining basic rights in the pursuit of far-right ideology.
Let us say it again: Katie Lane is #UnfitandUnqualified for the federal bench! The ABA agrees – now the Senate must reject this nomination.
As Trump’s attorney, Justin Smith showcased his belief that Trump should be able to abuse his power without accountability.
Justin Smith is a Trump loyalist who does not belong on the federal bench. Our courts deserve better. #StopJustinSmith #UnfitAndUnqualified
🚨 Another precedent has been broken as President Trump became the first modern president to attend a SCOTUS oral argument.
Presidents have long avoided this to prevent influencing the Court — but Trump insists on pressuring SCOTUS, especially the justices he appointed. www.cnn.com/2026/04/01/p...
The North Carolina Supreme Court’s GOP majority just overturned a 2022 ruling that allowed courts to order funding for public schools.
This decision blocks efforts to ensure that students' constitutional right to receive a sound, basic education is upheld.
"It does call into question if someone only has nine years of legal experience and not that much trial experience, you know, why was she selected to preside over a federal courtroom?" – Christine Chen Zinner, AFJ Federal Research and Advocacy Director www.montanarightnow.com/bozeman/pres...
Today, SCOTUS ruled 8–1 in Chiles v. Salazar against Colorado’s conversion therapy ban.
"Today’s decision is yet another harmful setback for the LGBTQ+ community and for the health care of everybody." – AFJ President @rachelrossi.bsky.social
Read the full statement: afj.org/article/supr...
Alliance for Justice President Rachel Rossi issued the following statement: “Today’s decision is yet another harmful setback for the LGBTQ+ community and for the health care of everybody. As in its 2018 case about crisis pregnancy centers’ anti-abortion propaganda, the Court reasserts its view that speech must be so ‘free’ that medical professionals can lie to their clients — even when it’s harmful and conflicts with best practices for professional care. This flies in the face of well-established precedent recognizing a valid interest in regulating speech that endangers others. The validity of LGBTQ+ identities is not open to debate, nor is the inevitable trauma many children will experience without the protection of laws like Colorado’s. We deserve justices who care about the context of harm and the importance of laws that protect us from it.”
Here is @afj.org's statement on today's egregious anti-LGBTQ+ Supreme Court ruling: afj.org/article/supr...
@rachelrossi.bsky.social:
Today, as the judiciary is frequently the last backstop to halt the Trump administration’s unlawful actions, the seating of dangerous loyalist judges poses an even deeper threat to our democracy.
Read our latest blog: No Kings Means No Trump Loyalists in Lifetime Judgeships afj.org/article/no-k...
Lifetime judgeships should protect our rights — not political power.
Join us TOMORROW, March 28, for the No Kings Day of Action because our rights — and our future — depend on it.
Find your local event: www.nokings.org
Tomorrow, people across the nation will show up in their communities to send a clear message: In America, power belongs to the people — not to wannabe kings and their cronies who seek to make them royalty.
NEW BLOG: No Kings Means No Trump Loyalists in Lifetime Judgeships afj.org/article/no-k...
"A fixed schedule for appointments would reduce political manipulation and make the Court more representative."
NEW: Term Limits Depoliticize the Supreme Court
Written by AFJ President @rachelrossi.bsky.social for @brennancenter.org
Read the full piece: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
@afj.org's President @rachelrossi.bsky.social also has a great new piece making the case that SCOTUS term limits would both turn down the political temperature & bring a wider set of experiences to SCOTUS. /4 www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
During her short career, Trump loyalist Katie Lane has demonstrated a disturbing commitment to undermining basic rights in the pursuit of far-right ideology. She is #UnfitandUnqualified for a lifetime judicial appointment to the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. She must be rejected!
"Whether warning the Court to slow down, defending limits Congress placed on executive power, or calling on lawmakers to correct a flawed ruling, judges like Ketanji Brown Jackson, Patricia Millett, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg show why dissent matters."
#WomensHistoryMonth BLOG: afj.org/article/when...
Who sits on our courts matters, and @afj.org was proud to support the nomination of Judge Kasubhai. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/19/u...
This week, SCOTUS declined to immediately allow the Trump administration to end deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian migrants living in the US.
The justices will hear oral arguments in late April. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/u...
This #WomensHistoryMonth, we recognize women jurists who have used dissent to defend checks & balances, and used their voices to uphold a simple truth: no branch of government should operate without constraints.
BLOG: When Women Judges Dissent, It Gives Hope to Democracy
afj.org/article/when...
By taking on such emergency applications, Justice Jackson said the justices had signaled a willingness to hear the cases before they had worked their way through the lower courts, creating “a warped” kind of proceeding and “a real unfortunate problem.” www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...
Elias Law Group Partner Emma Olson Sharkey joined the @afj.org Rules of the Game podcast to break down the court cases every ballot measure campaign or tax-exempt org should be watching.
Listen here: afj.org/article/rule...
The Supreme Court stepped into a New York voting rights case before the state’s highest court could even act — protecting a GOP district.
It’s another sign the Court’s conservative majority is expanding its use of emergency rulings and overstepping lower courts. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/u...
As the country gears up for an exceptionally active electoral cycle in 2026, we're looking back at how state supreme courts continued to play a pivotal role in protecting democracy in 2025.
Read our latest report with @afjactioncampaign.org here: afjactioncampaign.org/2025stateofjustice
The Trump administration abandoned its effort to impose crippling executive orders on law firms that refused to bow to the White House.
Let’s be clear: Trump's attacks on lawyers are attacks on the rule of law. When intimidation fails, accountability must follow. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/u...
As the country gears up for an exceptionally active electoral cycle in 2026, we're looking back at how state supreme courts continued to play a pivotal role in protecting democracy in 2025.
Read our latest report with @afjactioncampaign.org here: afjactioncampaign.org/2025stateofjustice
In 2025, state supreme courts continued to play a pivotal role in protecting democracy.
As the country gears up for an exceptionally active electoral cycle in 2026, the process of selecting state supreme court justices remains a key focus.
REPORT: afjactioncampaign.org/2025stateofjustice
During yesterday's State of the Union, President Trump attacked SCOTUS for ruling against his sweeping emergency tariffs, calling the decision “unfortunate.”
Despite the pressure, we hope the Court will continue to confront executive overreach and defend the rule of law. www.cnn.com/2026/02/25/p...
"While this particular tariff ruling may be favorable to the American people, the conservative justices typically — and increasingly — wield the major questions doctrine in the opposite political direction."
Read the full blog: afj.org/article/dont...
Trump-appointed judge Aileen Cannon blocked the DOJ from releasing Jack Smith’s report on Trump’s mishandling of classified documents.
Deeply disappointing — but exactly what happens when we have loyalists, not fair-minded judges, on the federal bench. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/u...
