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Courts Matter Illinois is a coalition of diverse organizations and individuals working to ensure a federal judiciary comprised of judges committed to upholding constitutional values. Our judicial systems at the state and federal levels are a vital part of the checks and balances defending people’s rights. Federal and state judges -- appointed and elected -- make decisions about every aspect of our lives. From the quality of the air we breathe and water we drink, to our consumer protections, reproductive rights, and who we can marry: Courts Matter!
Watch For Supreme Court Hearings 2026 May Schedule
Watch For Supreme Court Hearings 2026 May Schedule
Stay tuned for a schedule of upcoming hearings in May 2026 that Courts Matter Illinois is monitoring.
Visit our SCOTUS Page for more details. Oral arguments occur at 9AM Central. Listen in here.
Senate Judiciary Committee
Senate Judiciary Committee
In deference to committee Democrats who were at a party retreat early on April 29, the committee pushed the hearing for that day until later in the afternoon for nominees: Jeffrey Kuntz to the District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Mike Hendershot to the District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, and Arthur “Rob” Jones and John Marck to the District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
On April 30, the committee voted to move forward the following nominees: Evan Rikhye to the District Court for the District of the Virgin Islands (which is not a lifetime position), Kathleen ‘Katie’ Lane (opposed by Courts Matter Illinois) to the District Court for the District of Montana, Sheria Clarke to the District Court for the District of South Carolina, and Kara Westercamp to the Court of International Trade.
On May 20, the latest circuit court nominees are expected to receive a hearing: Benjamin Flowers, former Solicitor General of Ohio, to the Sixth Circuit Court and Matthew Schwartz, Trump’s personal lawyer in the Stormy Daniels case, to the Second Circuit Court.
Finally, we await a May 14 mark-up on the nominations of Justin Smith for the Eighth Circuit (opposed) and nominees to the District Court for the District of Kansas Tony Mattivi (opposed) Jeffrey Kuhlman; and Anthony Powell (opposed).
We Stand with Justice Kagan in Louisiana v. Callais Decision
We Stand with Justice Kagan in Louisiana v. Callais Decision
Wednesday, April 29, 2026, was a sad day for court watchers who care about upholding the tenents of our democracy. It was a day of great disappointment, but not of surprise. It was the day the Supreme Court of the United States handed down its decision in the case of Louisiana v. Callais and struck down the last vestiges of the Voting Rights Act – without actually declaring the Act unconstitutional. It opened the doors for discrimination against people of color – Black, Hispanic, Asian – and other marginalized groups, and now allows states to gerrymander their way to racial and socio-economical inequality in elections in this nation.
Read our full statement here.
Weekly Wrap Up: As of May 1
Weekly Wrap Up: As of May 1
We are definitely on alert. The Supreme Court heard its final arguments for the 2025-26 term and issued some alarming decisions. The Court upheld Texas's Republican-drawn congressional map, 6-3, reversing a lower court ruling that had deemed it a racial gerrymander — potentially giving the state 5 additional Republican seats.
And following on that theme, we got a ruling in the long-awaited Louisiana v. Callais case, challenging Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in the context of a redrawn congressional voting map designed to create a second majority Black district in Louisiana, a state that is one-third Black. The 6-3 decision, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, eviscerated the protections of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, further hollowing out a fundamental civil rights act that the court had already gravely damaged.
Also, the Court ruled in favor of shielding anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers from state oversight and accountability in the case First Choice Women's Resource Centers v. Platkin.
All this after a momentous week starting with shots fired outside of the White House Correspondents Dinner at which the President, Vice President, and several cabinet officials were hustled to safety as journalists and others huddled under tables, it culminated in an address by King Charles III to a joint session of Congress and the Senate’s departure. When they return, there will be four judicial nominees waiting for a vote on the floor.
Headlines
Headlines
(NYTimes) Is the Supreme Court coming apart at the seams?
(Slate) The Supreme Court’s conservatives just issued the worst ruling in a century
(USAToday) Trump attacks rule of law. I met the judges standing up for it.
(Reuters) In Supreme Court fight against deportation shield, Trump says judges have no role.
Separation of Church and State at Risk in the Courts
Separation of Church and State at Risk in the Courts
Courts Matter Illinois Chair and Co-Founder Carole Levine ponders the risks of a recent state court ruling in Texas that blurs the line between religious freedom and public education. Read her latest blog post, "The Ten," here.
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