Sign and send the petition: We need this civil rights champion on the federal bench

Friend, [sign and send the petition to your U.S. senators: Confirm judicial nominee Natasha Merle to the Eastern District of New York](. [SIGN AND SEND THE PETITION]( Natasha Merle, President Biden's nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, is now eligible for a full Senate vote! Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer filed cloture on her nomination on July 18. Merle’s impressive career and lifelong commitment to civil rights and equal justice for all has led her to her current position at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), where she serves as deputy director of litigation. Prior to joining the NAACP LDF, Merle worked as a capital defense attorney in Texas with Gulf Region Advocacy Center and a post-conviction public defender in Arizona. She also teaches a Racial Equities Strategies clinic at the NYU School of Law and has taught at Columbia Law School. [Sign and send the petition to your U.S. senators: Confirm Natasha Merle to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.]( [SIGN AND SEND THE PETITION]( Merle’s experience litigating complex civil rights cases would be an asset to any federal court. She led voting rights lawsuits challenging Alabama’s curbside voting bans and restrictive voter ID law; served as co-counsel for Duane Buck, whose case was brought to the Supreme Court after he was sentenced to death in Texas; and helped implement a court-ordered monitoring program after residents of the New York City Housing Authority brought a class action suit against the city for subjecting residents to illegal stop-and-frisks. Merle will bring crucial professional and lived experience to the federal bench. She would be the first public defender confirmed to the Eastern District of New York in nearly 30 years, and only the second in its entire history. She would also be the fourth Black woman ever to be confirmed to this court, an important step toward ensuring our courts reflect the communities they serve. The Senate is steadily picking up the pace to move nominees through the confirmation process. Send your senators a quick message urging them to confirm Merle without delay. [Sign and send the petition to your U.S. senators: Confirm Natasha Merle!]( [SIGN AND SEND THE PETITION]( In solidarity, Sarah Hogg, Daily Kos Daily Kos Relies on Readers Like You We don't have billionaire backers like some right-wing media outlets. Half our revenue comes from readers like you, meaning we literally couldn't do this work without you. Can you chip in $5 right now to help Daily Kos keep fighting? [Chip in $5]( If you wish to donate by mail instead, please send a check to Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Contributions to Daily Kos are not tax deductible. Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.