In Senate Floor Speech, Senator Butler Urges for Judge Michelle Court’s Confirmation – WATCH
U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, secured the confirmation of Judge Michelle Court for the Central District of California on Sept. 18.
By a vote of 49-44, Judge Court was confirmed to be the third Black woman actively serving as an Article III Judge in California’s Central District, and only the fifth in the Court’s history. In a speech on the Senate floor, Senator Butler urged her colleagues to vote for Judge Court’s confirmation to ensure the federal bench is filled with well-qualified jurists who reflect the diversity of the people they serve.
“The Central District of California serves roughly seventeen million people, making it the largest federal district by population in the entire United States. The judges who serve these Californians are currently facing an unprecedented number of filings, making the need to fill the court’s vacancies all that more urgent. It is commonly said that ‘justice delayed is justice denied,’ and at this moment the people of California’s Central District are indeed being denied justice as a direct result of these judicial vacancies,” said Senator Butler.
“I want to appreciate and really call attention to the leadership of Chair Durbin and the members of the Judiciary Committee, moving really, really quickly along with, and working in partnership with, President Biden and the White House to get these nominations advanced to ensure that the people across our country – in this instance the people of California – have fair access to justice.”
Judge Michelle Court has been a judge on the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County since 2012, and supervising judge in the Court’s civil division since 2023. Previously, Judge Court worked as an attorney and later vice president and general counsel at Bet Tzedek Legal Services from 2002 to 2011.
Before that, Judge Court worked as a senior associate at Milberg, Weiss, Bershad, Hynes & Lerach from 2000 to 2002; as a fellow and civil rights specialist at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1999 to 2000; as a litigation associate at Litt & Marquez from 1995 to 1999; as a project attorney at the ACLU of Southern California from 1994 to 1995; and as an associate at Gilbert, Kelly, Crowley & Jennett from 1993 to 1994. Judge Court received her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1993 and her B.A. from Pomona College in 1988.
Senator Butler’s full floor remarks, as delivered, are below:
“Mr. President,
“I associate myself with the comments of my colleagues just before me. Senator Collins and Senator Britt talked about the importance of doing the work of the American people. In just a bit the Senate is going to take some action to continue to do the work, do some important work, of the American people, and that is ensuring that they have access to swift and fair justice.
“I want to appreciate Leader Schumer and Senator Durbin and all of my colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee for moving so expeditiously to ensure that we are not delaying justice for many Americans across the country.
“I rise today to proudly support the nomination of Michelle Williams Court to be the United States Judge for the Central District of California. As her name is announced on the floor of the United States Senate, I want to recognize her loved ones, whose unwavering love and support over the years has undoubtedly shaped Judge Court into the incredible jurist and person we know her to be today. Specifically, I want to acknowledge her husband, Jamie, and their two sons.
“I’d also like to start today by highlighting the work we do in the Senate to fill these judicial vacancies and why it’s so important. The Central District of California serves roughly seventeen million people, making it the largest federal district by population in the entire United States.
“The judges who serve these Californians are currently facing an unprecedented number of filings, making the need to fill the court’s vacancies all that more urgent. It is commonly said that ‘justice delayed is justice denied,’ and at this moment the people of California’s Central District are indeed being denied justice as a direct result of these judicial vacancies.
“As I noted I want to appreciate and really call attention to the leadership of Chair Durbin and the members of the Judiciary Committee, moving really, really quickly along with, and working in partnership with, President Biden and the White House to get these nominations advanced to ensure that the people across our country – in this instance the people of California – have fair access to justice.
“I want to make sure that also in talking about the qualifications of Judge Court that we are really taking about the importance of these seats in a way that is not just about access to the people, but the quality of justice that they will have access to. Ensuring that judges that are being nominated and put forth for consideration of confirmation are the most experienced, that they are the most qualified, that they are thoughtful and prepared to follow the rule of law. That’s really why I’m so proud to stand in support of Judge Michelle Court for this nomination.
“Judge Court’s determination to public service and to the state of California runs deep. Born into a military family, Judge Court moved to California during high school and has called the state home ever since. She attended Pomona College, where she worked her way through school, sang in the Glee Club, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. After graduating at the height of the AIDS crisis, Judge Court dedicated two years of work to the AIDS Project, where she was working with that organization that provided life-saving training to healthcare professionals in Los Angeles.
“Judge Court then pursued her legal education at Loyola Law School, where she further demonstrated her commitment to public service. As a student, she worked at the National Health Law Program, researching healthcare services provided to incarcerated women.
“Following law school, Judge Court began her legal career gaining experience in public interest law, including first as a fellow at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“Prior to taking the bench, Judge Court served in various positions as the Deputy Director of Litigation, and then Director of Litigation, and finally as Vice President & General Counsel at Bet Tzedek Legal Services. Bet Tzedek, which translates literally into “the house of justice” in Hebrew, is one of the premier legal services organizations in the United States that focuses on poverty law. For ten years, Judge Court provided critical legal services to low-income, elderly, and disabled clients, and worked in collaboration with the California legislature on codifying related policy efforts.
“In 2012, Judge Court was sworn in as Judge on the Civil Division of the Superior Court of Los Angeles. During her time on the court, she presided over approximately 200 civil trials and ruled on 12,000 motions and requests. In 2023, she received a well-deserved promotion to supervising judge where she was responsible for overseeing approximately 150 judges in 35 courthouses throughout Los Angeles County.
“Judge Court’s robust career has left an impression both on her colleagues and on her community. Since her nomination, she’s received letters of support from people and organizations representing a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, including the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the Association of African American California Judicial Officers, Incorporated.
“And several in California’s legal community have come forward voicing their strong support for Judge Court. California Women Judges said quote, ‘Her calm demeanor, thorough preparation, and deep knowledge of whatever the subject is serve her well in addressing any audience, answering questions, and keeping the discussion focused.’ End quote.
“Five current supervising LA County Superior Court judges say, ‘She is currently serving as the Supervising Judge of the Civil Division of the largest unified trial court in the nation. Judge Court was selected for this position, in part, due to her administrative skills, technological knowledge, and being a subject matter expert in civil law procedure. Her strong management skills are illustrated by her innovative approaches to lessening the civil case backlog during the pandemic.’
“In addition to the important professional experience that Judge Court brings to the Central District, she also brings a unique lived experience. If confirmed to this position, she would be only the third Black woman actively serving as an Article III judge in this court, and only the fifth in the court’s history. Her nomination is an important step towards building trust in our legal system by ensuring that our federal courts reflect and represent the diversity of the people it serves.
“Judge Court’s dozen years of experience in the Superior Court, including as supervising judge, demonstrate her ability to smoothly transition to the District Court. Given her remarkable track record serving Californians from all walks of life, Mr. President, the utmost certainty in Judge Court’s readiness for this role. She is prepared and has demonstrated. And so, I urge my colleagues in joining me in supporting her nomination.
“Thank you, Mr. President and I yield the floor.”
