President Joe Biden’s Muslim appellate nominee, Adeel Mangi, is under pressure from three Senate Democrats who oppose his nomination. However, legal professionals and colleagues from Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP have rallied in defense of Mangi, maintaining his membership on the advisory board of a criminal justice reform group did not constitute valid grounds for opposition.
Mangi’s colleagues have addressed the concerns of Nevada’s two Democratic senators in a letter, highlighting the advisory nature of Mangi’s membership with the Alliance of Families for Justice, a group that has been labelled by some conservatives as being anti-police. “The Advisory Board does nothing at all. Our membership is purely nominal,” Eugene Gelernter of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP explains.
While no objections have been raised to Mangi’s professional performance or expertise, the opposition from Senate Democrats places Mangi’s confirmation in a precarious position. However, support from his colleagues and the wider legal community may count in his favour.
This information was provided by Bloomberg Law