Alliance for Justice Commemorates Contributions of President Carter

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 29, 2024 – Today Alliance for Justice joins the nation in mourning the passing of President Jimmy Carter. Among his many accomplishments, President Carter revolutionized the federal judiciary, laying the groundwork for the important future efforts, including President Biden’s historic progress, to ensure our courts are diverse and reflective of the people they serve.

Alliance for Justice Interim Co-President Keith Thirion issued the following statement: 

“Today we extend our sympathies to President Carter’s family and everyone who has ever been impacted by his generous spirit. For AFJ, President Carter set the standard for judicial nominations. In a compelling act of statesmanship, he strengthened the judicial nominations process to broaden the perspectives considered by establishing federal nominating commissions. This helped depoliticize the selection of judges and better secured judicial independence while simultaneously diversifying the judiciary like no president before him. He appointed 40 women, including eight women of color, when only eight women had ever previously been confirmed as federal judges.

“President Biden’s nominations honored President Carter’s legacy by modeling that same commitment to professionalism and diversity, adding record numbers of women, people of color, and people from diverse professional backgrounds to the federal bench. This essential work will restore faith in our courts. It wouldn’t have been possible without President Carter’s monumental example.

“As we reflect on President Carter’s legacy, let us remember his commitment to the integrity of the justice system and rights of all. He envisioned a judiciary that upheld equal justice under the law by modeling equality among its ranks. That is a practice we must continue to pursue and defend.”