Many lawyers are supporting Biden’s struggling court nominee Adeel Mangi for free.

WASHINGTON ― Dozens of pro bono partners, legal counselors, and chairs at top law firms and national organizations are rallying behind President Joe Biden’s court pick Adeel Mangi, decrying the mistreatment he has faced during his confirmation process as damaging to the legal profession itself.

Concerned about the attacks on Mr. Mangi, 49 pro bono attorneys from across the country delivered a letter to Senate party leaders expressing their worry. “Our main concern is that while these attacks are on Mr. Mangi, they have wide-ranging impact: they serve to demonize, vilify, and ultimately discourage pro bono service by the legal profession,” the letter reads.

Biden nominated Mangi, a seasoned civil litigator in New Jersey, for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit last year. He is highly regarded as a judicial candidate, having been unanimously rated as well qualified by the American Bar Association. Numerous organizations, including the AFL-CIO and more than a dozen Jewish groups, have praised his legal and pro bono work.

Mangi, who would be the first Muslim U.S. appeals court judge if confirmed, is positioned to shift the ideological balance of the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. However, his confirmation process has been marred by baseless attacks and a smear campaign unlike any seen in recent history.

Republican senators and dark money groups have attempted to portray Mangi as an antisemitic terrorist sympathizer and, when that strategy failed, shifted to groundlessly accusing him of supporting cop killers.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, GOP Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and Josh Hawley demanded Mangi share his personal views on various sensitive issues, trying to discredit him based on his pro bono work with groups like Rutgers Law School’s Center for Security, Race, and Rights and the Alliance of Families for Justice.

In their letter to Senate leaders, the pro bono attorneys cautioned about the unintended consequences of the attacks on Mangi. They warned that such attacks could discourage lawyers from engaging in pro bono work and ultimately hinder future opportunities, including nominations to the federal judiciary.

According to Weiss, a partner and chair of the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest at Lowenstein Sandler LLP, “Pillorying Mr. Mangi for these efforts threatens to discourage lawyers in private practice from engaging in the civil rights cases and other pro bono work that assists thousands of clients in accessing justice every year.”

Lustberg, the director of the John J. Gibbons Fellowship in Public Interest & Constitutional Law at Gibbons P.C., emphasized the importance of supporting individuals who take on controversial cases for the betterment of society, echoing that those individuals should not face undue criticism like Mangi has.

Despite facing opposition from some Democratic senators, including those who caved to GOP pressure, the White House has not withdrawn Mangi’s nomination. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, who recommended Mangi for the nomination, is committed to advocating for him.

While Mangi’s confirmation hangs in the balance due to the Senate’s narrow majority, there remains hope for his appointment. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s spokesperson indicated that there are no new updates on a potential confirmation vote for Mangi at this time.

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