To the Senators of the United States:
We write to express our opposition to President BushÂ’s nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. As law students, we are active participants in legal debates in our schools, as we study the Constitution and the American legal tradition, preparing ourselves for careers in the law. It is our generation of law students that will practice law under the decisions of the Justices now being placed on the Supreme Court and we will bear the great responsibility of challenging decisions that restrict fundamental rights and freedoms.
A small conservative minority of America\'s legal elite has a radical agenda to change American law, beginning by changing the composition and balance of the Supreme Court. The vision of this minority would limit Congress\'s ability to solve America\'s problems, deny fundamental constitutional rights including basic rights to privacy, and undo the tremendous progress our nation has made over the past few generations in protecting the civil rights of all Americans. Judge Alito is an active member of this extreme minority and we are therefore strongly opposed to his nomination. We are especially troubled that this nominee would take the place of Justice Sandra Day O\'Connor, who was a consistent voice of balance, stability, and moderation.
As Senators, you have the constitutional obligation to stand as a bulwark against the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice whose views represent only a narrow segment of our nation. Your Advise and Consent power means that you can and should ensure that American jurisprudence continues to be characterized by justice and freedom for all, rather than advancing the political agenda of a few. We urge you to vote against Judge Alito, and to ask the President to select a mainstream nominee who can unite all Americans. Finally, we urge you to take the long view when it comes to the composition of the Court as we and our children and grandchildren will live for decades with the decisions you make today.