Special thanks to Kimberlei Evans, president of the Charles Houston Bar Association, for securing CHBA’s opposition to Southwick. CHBA is an affiliate of the National Bar Association.

We also want to thank National Bar Association vice president Demetrius Shelton for working the emails and phones, getting NBA members and affiliates to call in opposition to Southwick:

The National Bar Association needs our help in encouraging Senator Feinstein to vote no on the nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick to the US Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit.  We have received word that the nomination may be voted on as soon as tomorrow.  Please contact Senator Feinstein’s office and let your voice be heard on this very important issue. In short, Judge Southwick’s record while serving as a Mississippi state appeals court judge is replete with evidence that he is hostile to African-Americans and disadvantaged people including a  decision upholding the reinstatement of a social worker who used a racial epithet (the “n-word”) to describe a colleague.   Please see e-mail below from our friends at the Equal Justice Society summarizing the issue more fully.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 10-9 nearly along party lines Aug. 2 to approve the nomination. To our surprise, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein joined all nine committee Republicans in voting for the nomination.  We ask that upon receipt of this e-mail that you contact Senator Feinstein’s office and urge her to vote no tomorrow when this matter comes before the full Senate!