©2026 League of Conservation Voters
Issues
The Senate considered President Joe Biden’s nomination of Nicole G. Berner to serve as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, which has jurisdiction over Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Federal judges serve for life and the laws that protect our environment and democracy need judges who will uphold and enforce them. Berner has over 20 years of high-stakes litigation experience at both trial and appellate levels, in both federal and state courts, across numerous critical areas of public interest. Her commitment to equal justice for all pervades her distinguished career. Berner has been one of the nation’s leading labor lawyers and has worked to safeguard access to reproductive rights and healthcare. She is also the first openly LGBTQ+ judge ever appointed to the 4th Circuit. On March 19, the Senate confirmed Berner to be a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit by a vote of 50-47 (Senate roll call vote 94). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE.
©2026 League of Conservation Voters