Federal Judges 101: Advocating for Good Judges from Pipeline to Confirmation

Federal Judges 101: Advocating for Good Judges from Pipeline to Confirmation

Session Type(s): Training

Training Tag(s): Other

Starts: Friday, Jul. 14 10:30 AM (Central)

Ends: Friday, Jul. 14 11:30 AM (Central)

Room: PDR #2

Now more than ever, we’re seeing the impact federal judges have on our day-to-day lives—and why it’s so important that we put as many great judges on the federal bench as possible who represent the diversity of our movements. But the federal judicial nominations process is weird and wonky, and it can feel hard to figure out where the key moments are to engage—and even harder to figure out how to get your people excited about the prospect or to ultimately ensure your movement is represented in Biden’s nominations. Building on decades of experience in the field, we’ll walk you through every step of the judicial nomination process and outline key opportunities and methods for engaging your community in the fight for fair courts.

Trainers

Keith Thirion

Keith Thirion is an experienced campaigner, advocate, and organizer. As the VP of Strategy at Alliance for Justice, he oversees the Justice, Bolder Advocacy, and Outreach & Membership teams, shaping organizational strategy and working with the program teams to maximize AFJ’s impact. He also directs organizational strategies and leads coalitions in campaigns to increase visibility of the courts and judicial nominations, focusing on the importance of the courts in protecting civil rights and constitutional protections. He previously served as Director of Advocacy & Programs and then Acting Director of Equality Maryland, where he played a lead role in passing the state transgender anti-discrimination law and directed the campaign to deny opponents signatures for a repeal referendum. He also directed EQMD’s public education and advocacy programs. He also worked for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network directing Virginia field campaigns to advance clean energy policies and counter the power of the commonwealth’s biggest polluters. Keith began organizing on multiple ballot initiative campaigns, including Proposition 8 in Los Angeles, and as an Organizing Fellow with the National LGBTQ Task Force.