[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 145 (Wednesday, September 18, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6120-S6121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 Nomination of Michelle Williams Court

  Ms. BUTLER. Mr. President, I associate myself with the comments of 
the 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--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 U.S. 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 would also like to start today by highlighting the work we do in 
the Senate to fill these judicial vacancies and why it is so important.
  The Central District of California serves roughly 17 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 the Central District of California are 
indeed being denied justice as a direct result of these judicial 
vacancies.
  And 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 talking 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.
  And that is really why I am so proud to stand in support of Judge 
Michelle Court for this nomination. Judge Court's dedication 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 2 years of work to the AIDS Project,

[[Page S6121]]

where she was working with that organization that provided lifesaving 
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 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 
U.S. 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 and 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 10 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 a 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 has 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, Inc.
  And several in California's legal community have come forward voicing 
their strong support for Judge Court. California Women Judges said:

       Her calm demeanor, thorough preparation, and deep knowledge 
     of whatever the subject is will serve her well in addressing 
     any audience, answering questions, and keeping the 
     discussions focused.

  Five current supervising L.A. 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, technical 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, I have the utmost certainty in Judge Court's readiness for 
this role. She is prepared and has demonstrated. So I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting her nomination.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHMITT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Missouri.