Latino Leaders Support Fair and Thorough Confirmation Process for Solicitor General Elena Kagan

May 10, 2010

Contact: Estuardo V. Rodriguez, Jr., Estuardo@rabengroup.com, 202-631-2892
Vanessa Ramirez, vramirez@rabengroup.com, 213-236-3751

WASHINGTON, DC – Leaders of Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary (HFJ) called for a thorough and fair review of U.S. Solicitor General, Elena Kagan, who was nominated today by President Barack Obama to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The American people will best be served if Kagan’s nomination is considered by the U.S. Senate in a fair, dignified, and timely manner. This is no time for partisan games. Latinos and all Americans need their Senators to help them understand Kagan’s record and whether she has the qualifications to serve on our nation’s highest court and will place justice ahead of special interests,” said Maria Cardona, a founding member of Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary.

As the first woman to serve as Dean in Harvard Law School’s 186-year old history and the first woman selected to serve as U.S. Solicitor General, Elena Kagan has earned praise across the political spectrum for her fair-mindedness, even-handedness, and insistence that all views deserve a respectful hearing.

“President Obama has nominated an attorney renowned for her brilliance, intellectual rigor, integrity and capacity to build consensus. If confirmed, she would also enhance the diversity of the High Court because she would be the only sitting Justice to come from outside the judiciary,” said Román D. Hernández, HNBA National President.

Rosa Rosales, National President of LULAC said, “We congratulate President Obama on nominating Elena Kagan who is clearly a brilliant attorney with impressive legal credentials. We look forward to learning more about her judicial philosophy especially as it relates to diversity and issues of importance to Hispanic Americans.”

Supreme Court rulings on the rights of immigrant workers, voting rights, affirmative action policies and education have had a far reaching impact on the Latino community. Many of these rulings have been decided by one vote, and point to the importance that this nomination holds for the Latino community.

“This is a very significant nomination,” said Professor Kevin Johnson, Dean of the University of California Davis Law School. “At a time when the Hispanic community faces attacks on our civil liberties and is at the heart of heated debates, having fair-minded justices on the Supreme Court is critically important for ensuring that a balanced and reasoned application of our constitutional principles prevails over political expediency.”

“Solicitor Kagan is obviously a person eminently qualified to serve. The Federation will be working closely with HFJ to ensure Ms. Kagan's record receives a fair and thorough review,” stated Lillian Rodriguez-López, President of the Hispanic Federation and Chair of NHLA.

Hispanics for a Fair Judiciary (HFJ) was formed in April 2005 in order to provide Hispanic leaders across the nation a platform and voice in matters related to our nation's judicial system. HFJ is an unaffiliated, non-partisan, independent network of elected officials, legal, civil rights, labor, academic and political leaders who care deeply about the impact that the Supreme Court has on the Latino community.