Shaping the Courts: A Fireside Chat with Paige Herwig

Join ACS on November 5th for a fireside chat with Paige Herwig, the chief architect of the Biden Administration’s historic effort to build a more representative federal bench. As Senior Counsel in the White House Counsel’s Office, Herwig oversaw the vetting, nomination, and confirmation of 235 federal judges. Under her leadership, the Administration prioritized appointing judges whose perspectives and experiences have long been underrepresented in the federal judiciary–leading to record numbers of Black, Latinx, Asian American, women, and LGBTQ+ judges, as well as public defenders, civil rights attorneys, labor lawyers, and other public interest practitioners. These appointments stand among President Biden’s most distinctive and transformative legacies, reshaping the federal judiciary and creating new pathways for progressive jurisprudence. And now, these judges serve as a crucial bulwark against Executive Branch overreach.

This conversation will explore the mechanics and politics of the judicial nominations process, draw lessons from Herwig’s experience in both the Obama and Biden Administrations, and reflect on the broader project of building a judiciary that reflects the nation it serves, strengthens the rule of law, and advances dignity.

Co-sponsored with Law & Political Economy (LPE) and WSL+