At the LWVUS 2024 Convention, delegates voted overwhelmingly to proceed with a study on the federal judiciary. Our goal is to develop a position that outlines the values the League of Women Voters should use in evaluating proposed changes to policies, laws, and regulations about the federal judiciary. The study's purpose includes addressing concerns and clarifying judicial accountability, transparency, independence, and ethics. The scope addresses the Supreme Court as well as the other federal courts.
The Federal Judiciary study will be completed on a fast-track timeline in time for a position to be announced at the LWVUS 2025 Council in June 2025.
Here are the scheduled meetings for LWVDV to discuss the topics and come up with a consensus.
LWVDV members: See the email updates about the Federal Judiciary Study for the Zoom details and links to the study materials and summary notes from each of our weekly meetings.
- Monday, February 10, 2025 (Completed)
- (1) Common Terms
- (2) Financial Disclosure
- Tuesday, February 18, 2025 (Completed)
- (3) Judicial Ethics & Enforcement
- Monday, February 24, 2025 (Completed)
- (4) Recusal
- (5) Stare Decisis and Binding Precedent
- Monday, March 3, 2025 (Completed)
- (6) Structural Reforms for the US Supreme Court
- Monday, March 10, 2025 (Completed)
- (7) Shadow Docket
- (8) Judge Shopping
- Tuesday, March 18, 2025 (Completed)
- (9) Legitimacy & the US Supreme Court
- Monday, March 24, 2025 (4-5:30 pm, Zoom)
- (10) Judicial Representation
- Saturday, March 15 (Completed)
- Consensus Meeting Part I
- Saturday, March 29 (10 - 11:30 am, Zoom)
- Consensus Meeting Part II
If you have questions regarding this process or the study material content, you are welcome to contact shawn [at] lwvdv.org (subject: Judiciary%20study) (Shawn Gilbert) or ana [at] lwvdv.org (subject: Judiciary%20study) (Ana Pan).
