WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden has just chosen a Supreme Court nominee. A dozen progressive groups have revealed their choice among the finalists: U.S. Appeals Court Judge Ketanji brown Jackson.
The 12 groups, led by Demand Justice and focusing on the courts, send Biden a Wednesday email asking him to nominate someone who has a background in civil rights or public defender.
They write that "As your most important judicial nominee to date, we urge to build upon your commitment to professional diversity by appointing someone who has civil rights or public defence experience to the Supreme Court," as reported by NBC News.
This letter is one day after NBC News reported that Biden interviewed two other finalists, in addition to Jackson. Circuit Judge J. Michelle Childs from South Carolina and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Krüger. Only Jackson has the background the progressives refer to in the letter.
The letter, which they did not name, appears to have been written to Jackson, who is currently a judge at the U.S Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit in the last stretch of the process before a decision.
According to a source familiar, Demand Justice has produced ads supporting Jackson in the event she is chosen.
The letter was signed by left-leaning groups such as Indivisible, Justice Democrats, Demos, MoveOn and Indivisible. It noted that the Biden White House had pushed to have more civil rights lawyers and public defenders on the courts. This would imply fewer corporate lawyers or prosecutors.
They write to Biden, "Since then you have nominated an unprecedented number of ex-public defenders and a phenomenal collection of civil rights lawyers to be on the bench." These lawyers provide a refreshing perspective on a court system that favors corporations and the wealthy.
Biden has stated that he will announce his choice by Monday. He was subject to conflicting demands from Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), who called on him not to choose Childs, who is from his state. The decision could be made as soon as next week.
