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Wendy Long Joins Judicial Confirmation Network
Former Litigation Partner at Kirkland & Ellis To Serve as Legal Counsel

March 9, 2005

Washington - As the Judicial Confirmation Network (JCN) launches its nationwide campaign to halt blatantly partisan and personal attacks on many of the President's nominees to the federal courts, Wendy E. Long, a former litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis and former law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has joined JCN to serve as the organization's legal counsel.

Until March 2005, Long was a litigation partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Long also served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and to Judge Ralph Winter of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. Long is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law and of Dartmouth College. She previously served as a press secretary in the U.S. Senate, for former U.S. Senators Bill Armstrong (R-Colo.) and U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey (R-N.H.).

"This is an extraordinary opportunity as the nation focuses its attention on the President's nominees to the federal bench, including possibly to the United States Supreme Court," said Long. "Unfortunately, many of my colleagues on the left have engaged in a campaign of disinformation, distortion and outright falsehoods about these nominations. Part of JCN's mission is to restore a sense of balance and respect for the judicial confirmation process provided under our Constitution and to give citizens accurate information about the nominees and the process so they can hold their Senators accountable for their actions."

Judicial Confirmation Network is in the midst of a national petition drive designed to bring an end to the obstructionist tactics waged by some individuals and groups as the United States Senate considers the President's nominations to the federal courts. JCN began distributing petitions via e-mail alerts and with the cooperation of dozens of other organizations including Focus on the Family, Americans for Tax Reform, the Committee for Justice, Americans for Limited Government and the American Center for Law and Justice. In addition, the national petition calling for an end to obstructionism is accessible by visiting JCN's website at: www.judicialnetwork.com