hello! i'm a (recently laid off) civil rights advocate and writer who just started posting on Substack about nominations to the federal bench, judicial diversity, and more. here are the six stories i've posted since last Friday. to read/support my work, please subscribe! patrickryne.substack.com

while the House is out yet again next week, the Senate will be working to confirm (at least) four more of Trump's nominees to serve lifetime judicial appointments. patrickryne.substack.com/p/senate-set...

i wrote about Josh Divine being the first federal judge listed under the "Other" race category by the Federal Judicial Center — and why it's worth questioning why he self-reported it that way. patrickryne.substack.com/p/trump-appo...

You all! @patrickryne.bsky.social has a brilliant new substack! He's continuing to write about judicial nominations and the impact on our civil rights, our communities, and our future! Go and subscribe now - patrickryne.substack.com!

hello! i'm a (recently laid off) civil rights advocate and writer who just started posting on Substack about nominations to the federal bench, judicial diversity, and more. here are the six stories i've posted since last Friday. to read/support my work, please subscribe! patrickryne.substack.com

Two years ago today, President Biden nominated Sara Hill to the federal bench. Judge Hill became the first Native American woman to serve as a lifetime judge in Oklahoma and the fourth Native American judge confirmed during the Biden administration.

what a disgraceful man.

Some of Trump’s worst picks for lifetime federal judgeships are heading toward confirmation. Here’s my look at what’s coming up next week: patrickryne.substack.com/p/senate-set...

NEW: Senate just invoked cloture on nomination of Rebecca Taibleson to serve on 7th Circuit. Her confirmation will mean that Trump has appointed more white judges to the 7th Circuit (6) than judges of color who have EVER served on the court in history (5). patrickryne.substack.com/p/the-sevent...

horrible news for the judiciary.

“Our courts deserve better, and the judges who are selected to serve on them for life deserve more scrutiny. Senators can still submit written questions for the record until October 29, and they should take the opportunity to do so.” My coverage of today: patrickryne.substack.com/p/trumps-lou...

they are so thirsty.

NEW: Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Will Crain, who Trump appointed to the federal bench, put his divorce under seal for 11 months based on a new law that allows public officials to keep their info private. (He is also dating his former law clerk.) #lalege lailluminator.com/2025/10/22/c...

NEW: Senate just confirmed William Mercer to the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana — another white man on a court where a person of color has never served, and where only one woman has. Earlier this month, @lambdalegal.org told senators: "His animus against LGBTQ+ people is clear."

Senate Judiciary Committee just considered two more of Trump’s judicial nominees. Few senators spent significant time questioning the nominees, who if confirmed will serve in lifetime roles with immense power to rule on critical civil and human rights issues. patrickryne.substack.com/p/trumps-lou...

Votes have not been scheduled, meaning terrible judicial nominees like William Mercer and Chad Meredith may stay off the bench even just one day longer. As small as it is, another day without them serving in lifetime judgeships is a good thing.

Ranking Member Durbin asked judicial nominee Alexander Van Hook, who was born in Shreveport and has served as acting US Attorney there, whether they need the National Guard to fight crime in Shreveport, where the murder rate is higher than the city of Chicago. Van Hook says they would be welcome.

incredible diversity today in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room.

looks like tomorrow's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing will consider nominations of William Crain for Eastern District of Louisiana, Alexander Van Hook for Western District of Louisiana, and Andrew Duva to serve as assistant AG of DOJ's Criminal Division. www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-ac...

"Instead of appointing judges who will be fair-minded & independent, he has made clear that he expects loyalty from his appointees — & expects that they will bring their bias to the bench on behalf of his administration’s white supremacist & unlawful agenda." patrickryne.substack.com/p/efforts-to...

the Seventh Circuit has only ever had five judges of color, and President Biden appointed FOUR of them. if Rebecca Taibleson is confirmed, she'll be Trump's sixth white appointee to the court — meaning he will have appointed more white judges to this court than people of color who have ever served.

North Carolina already one of most gerrymandered states. Now GOP passing new gerrymander giving Rs nearly 80% of seats in state where Trump got 51%. Specifically targets Black Dem Don Davis. This is preview of what post-Voting Rights Act America will look like www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Glad this was party line, at least.

In almost every imaginable way, President Biden broke records with respect to judicial diversity. Trump is now, predictably, naming almost only white people (and no civil rights lawyers) to the bench — expecting loyalty to him above all else. My latest: patrickryne.substack.com/p/efforts-to...

As predicted.

"The White House paused the judicial nomination of former Florida Deputy Attorney General John Guard due to his involvement with a charity linked to Gov. Ron DeSantis that's under criminal investigation, sources tell Axios." www.axios.com/2025/10/21/j...

ICYMI!

only eight judges of color have ever served as lifetime district court judges in the state of Louisiana (all appointed by Democratic presidents). Trump just nominated two more white guys to Louisiana federal courts.

First and only Black judicial nominee during Trump's second term. But as I wrote, representation alone is not enough. This historic civil rights jurisdiction deserves lifetime judges who have civil rights experience and who are committed to equal justice. patrickryne.substack.com/p/as-supreme...

"The shutdown has resulted in the judiciary for the first time in nearly three decades being forced to send some of its over 30,000 employees home without pay after Congress failed to pass legislation to keep the government funded."

feels rich for Trump judge Josh Divine to be the one guy self-identifying his race as "Other" after whining a few months ago that only one white person has written the foreword to Harvard Law Review's Supreme Court issue since 2018 dont get me started on him musing about Obama as Halfrican-American

One federal judge in history is listed by Federal Judicial Center as identifying their race as “Other” — and it’s Trump appointee Josh Divine. It’s worth considering why, because the answer could be troubling for someone with a lifetime judgeship. My latest: patrickryne.substack.com/p/trump-appo...

"The desire of the Court’s conservative majority to see fewer Black people represented and participating in American democracy — a desire shared by the administration and its white supremacist agenda — is reflected in the president’s choices for key administration and judicial roles."

I am not a reporter, but I just asked the Federal Judicial Center an unrelated question and was told that they're closing at the end of today as a result of the government shutdown and will not reopen until the shutdown is over! Their biographical directory will not be updated while they're closed.

Wrote about how SCOTUS's continued erosion of voting rights for Black Americans and Trump’s exclusion of Black judges (and any judges with a demonstrated commitment to civil rights) form two pillars of a deliberate campaign to undermine multiracial democracy. patrickryne.substack.com/p/as-supreme...

Only 2 judges of color have ever served on this court (none currently do), which is home to Birmingham and so much civil rights history. Trump appointed 4 white judges to the court during his first term and has 2 more nominees now, including anti-civil rights Edmund LaCour. 12 Democrats voted yes.

SCOTUS conservative justices say you can engage in racial profiling in immigration stops but can’t consider race under Voting Rights Act to remedy centuries of racial discrimination

This entire argument by Louisiana and the conservatives questions are premised on an erasure of Congress’ enforcement power under the 14th & 15th Amendments. Literally swinging for the fences to wipe out the premise for the legitimacy of Congress’ power to enact civil rights statutes.

six white guys (five appointed by Trump) dissent.

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy passed away today according to the House of GG. She was a veteran of the Stonewall rebellion and a lifelong organizer for the safety and dignity of trans people, sex workers, and the incarcerated. She came from the same generation and milieu as Marsha and Sylvia. She was 78.

Over the course of his term, President Biden doubled the number of Native American lifetime judges — and appointed the first Native Hawaiian woman lifetime judge — in our nation’s history. #IndigenousPeoplesDay

From Judge Myong Joun, a former civil rights lawyer appointed by President Biden. Was one of 100 lifetime confirmations during the Biden administration of people who were public defenders or civil rights lawyers (or both) or who otherwise had significant experience protecting civil and human rights.

happy birthday, Ruby Bridges 💕

SPARKLE!

Senate Judiciary Committee is now considering Trump's first Black judicial nominee during his second term. During his first term, only 12 of his 234 lifetime appointees were Black (including 0 of 54 circuit court appointments) — and only 1/26 of his lifetime nominees to date during his second term.

of course, under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Third Circuit nominee Jennifer Mascott is unwilling to say that President Biden won the 2020 election.

this is shameful. and it continues the first Trump administration's violation of reporting obligations, noncompliance with treaties to end racial discrimination, and horrific reversal of domestic civil and human rights progress. i wrote about some of this in 2020. civilrights.org/blog/the-tru...

Judge Jia Cobb — former civil rights lawyer and public defender, and one of the 40 Black women President Biden appointed to a lifetime seat on the federal bench.

my mom, who has four cruises booked already for next year, is gonna hate to hear this.

Dear journalists: The President has not fired Lisa Cook. The President is *trying* to illegally fire her. Your words shape people’s reality. Please be accurate in your reporting.