For Immediate Release

	March 4, 2005 NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION OPPOSES THE NOMINATION OF UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT JUDGE TERRENCE BOYLE Lewis F. Powell, Jr. United States Courthouse Washington, DC - The National Bar Association (NBA) is opposed to the recent nomination of United States District Court Judge Terrence Boyle to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The NBA's opposition is articulated in a March 2, 2005 letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the seven-page letter to Senator Arlen Specter, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, NBA President Kim Keenan details the association's decision. NBA ranks Judge Boyle as "not qualified" for appointment to the Fourth Circuit. Judge Boyle's judicial record raises serious questions about his professional competence and judicial temperament, including commitment to equal justice under the law and cultural sensitivity. With more than 150 reversals, Judge Boyle's judicial record has led the NBA to join in the opposition with many diverse groups, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and law enforcement associations. Throughout the years, the NBA has been troubled tremendously about the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which was a racially segregated institution until the year 2000. This court is widely regarded as the most conservative circuit court in the country. The NBA is opposed to the appointment of an unqualified jurist to the country's most conservative circuit court, a circuit that is virtually the final arbiter of the civil rights of more African Americans than any other circuit court in the country. "Judge Boyle's nomination is a poor reflection on the nation's commitment to equal justice with enormous consequences," stated National Bar Association President Kim M. Keenan. "It is not often that we oppose a judicial nominee. Nevertheless, the NBA is compelled to oppose Judge Boyle," said Keenan. A copy of the Boyle Opposition Letter (pdf) is available for download. For questions, please contact Alfreda Robinson, NBA Chair, Judicial Selection Standing Committee at 202-994-8162 or arobinson@law.gwu.edu. The National Bar Association, representing a network of more than 30,000 members, is the oldest and largest association of African American and minority attorneys, jurists, legal scholars, and law students in the country.