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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!
CAC 13th Annual Home Stretch at the Supreme Court Event April 30
CAC 13th Annual Home Stretch at the Supreme Court Event April 30
On Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. ET, the Constitutional Accountability Center will host a virtual panel of legal experts as they discuss some of the most significant cases of this Supreme Court Term, as well as take questions from the audience.
This year’s Home Stretch at the Supreme Court panel discussion will be moderated by Law Dork’s Chris Geidner, and will feature an all-star panel of legal experts, including Kelsi Brown Corkran, Supreme Court Director at the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy & Protection and Senior Lecturer at Georgetown University Law Center; Easha Anand, Assistant Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic at Stanford Law School; Melissa Murray, Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law and the faculty director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center at New York University School of Law; Jennifer Bennett, Principal of Gupta Wessler LLP; and CAC’s own Chief Counsel Brianne Gorod. Opening remarks for the event will be given by CAC President Elizabeth Wydra. Register here.
Supreme Court Hearings 2026 April Schedule
Supreme Court Hearings 2026 April Schedule
Here's a schedule of upcoming hearings in 2026 that Courts Matter Illinois is monitoring:
BONDI, ATT"Y GEN. v. LAU, April 22
CHATRIE v. UNITED STATES, April 27
MONSANTO CO. v. DURNELL, April 27
Visit our SCOTUS Page for more details. Oral arguments occur at 9AM Central. Listen in here.
Senate Judiciary Committee
Senate Judiciary Committee
At the judiciary committee’s March 25 hearing, featuring Evan Rikhye to the District Court for the District of the Virgin Islands (which is not a lifetime position), 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, all of the nominees refused to answer questions about who won the 2020 presidential election and whether the January 6 insurrection was an attack on the Capitol.
Senators also grilled Katie Lane on her very scant legal experience which falls short of the American Bar Association’s 12 year threshold. In response to questioning from Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Lane admitted she had taken one deposition and conducted one cross examination in federal court.
Kara Westercamp was questioned on her social media posts attacking senators.
After the spring holiday recess, the committee is planning to hold a hearing on April 15 which is expected to feature: Justin Smith for the Eighth Circuit (opposed by Courts Matter Illinois) and nominees to the District Court for the District of Kansas Tony Mattivi (opposed by Courts Matter Illinois) Jeffrey Kuhlman; and Anthony Powell (opposed by Courts Matter Illinois).
Weekly Wrap Up: As of Mar. 27
Weekly Wrap Up: As of Mar. 27
The Senate is not expected to return to Washington for another two and a half weeks. While senators are back home, they should be hearing from us about the need to carefully scrutinize President Trump’s judicial nominees and oppose any who are not fair, independent, or committed to constitutional values like equality and justice for all. They need to know that their constituents are watching and that they care about the quality of judges who sit in lifetime seats on the federal bench.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Watson v. Republican National Committee, a consequential voting rights case from Mississippi where the state’s Republican committee challenged the state law that allowed mail-in votes to be counted if received three days after Election Day.
This case, which will be decided by June, could impact mail-in voting going forward and is set against a backdrop of many attacks on voting rights.
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