Sierra Club Urges Senate To Swiftly Confirm Nancy Abudu To 11th Circuit

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee held  a confirmation hearing for Nancy Abudu to be a judge for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which encompasses Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. If confirmed, Ms. Abudu would be the first Black woman and only the third Black judge in the 11th Circuit’s history. Ms. Abudu has a lengthy track record, serving as the Strategic Litigation Director at the Southern Poverty Law Center, as the Legal Director of ACLU Florida, and as a staff attorney with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in the early 2000s. She started her legal career at Tulane University Law School’s Environmental Law Clinic. Abudu is an expert in crucial areas of law related to the work of the 11th Circuit. She is among the most experienced litigators in the nation on criminal law and constitutional law, including religious expression, voting, civil liberties, and administrative law. 

In response, Leslie Fields, Sierra Club’s National Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Legal, released the following statement:

“Nancy Abudu is a true public servant with decades of experience defending civil liberties and will provide the needed leadership to fight for the humanity and dignity of all people that come before the bench. Abudu’s record gives us confidence that she recognizes the government’s obligation under the law to protect public health and the environment, values the public’s right to access the courts to hold government and industries accountable, and understands the difference between facts and politics. We are thankful to President Biden for nominating Nancy Abudu to this important Appellate Court and urge the Senate to swiftly confirm her.”