- Pritzker Fellows
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- Doug Jones
Doug Jones
Former U.S. Senator from Alabama
Fall 2022 Pritzker Fellow
Seminar Series: "Politics, the Court & the National Mood: On the Road with Senator Doug Jones"
A celebrated prosecutor who brought long-overdue justice to the victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Doug has built his career on fighting impossible battles. In 2017, he shocked the political establishment by winning a special election to fill a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama—the first Democrat to do so in 25 years in the state. On Capitol Hill, he quickly built a reputation as a well-regarded and effective legislator, passing more than two dozen bipartisan bills into law in just three years.
Doug’s first job after graduating from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University was as staff counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary for Sen. Howell Heflin (D-AL). Following his stint in Washington, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1980 to 1984. Doug left government service in 1984 and was in the private practice of law in Birmingham, Alabama, until President Bill Clinton nominated him to the position of U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate in November 1997, and he served as U.S. attorney until June 2001. It was while serving in that position that he successfully prosecuted 2 of the 4 men responsible for the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church - finally bringing full justice and closure nearly 40 years after the attack that killed four young girls. Along with taking on the Ku Klux Klan, he indicted domestic terrorist Eric Rudolph and prosecuted other criminals who sought to use fear, hatred, and violence to inhibit the rights of others.
Doug is the author of Bending Toward Justice: The Birmingham Church Bombing that Changed the Course of Civil Rights which recounts a key moment in our long national struggle for equality and the successful prosecution of two Ku Klux Klan members 40 years later.
In 2022, Doug was selected by President Joe Biden to be the Nomination Advisor for Legislative Affairs to help to guide the selection, nomination, and successful confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States. In this role, Doug continued to build upon the important relationships he had established while in Congress to help gain bipartisan support for the President’s nominee.
Today, Doug is of Counsel with ArentFox Schiff, a Senior Distinguish Fellow with Center for American Progress and is involved in a variety of different political and civic organizations. Doug resides in Birmingham, Alabama, with his wife, Louise, and dogs, Scout and Dakota. He has three children Courtney (married to Rip Andrews), Carson, and Christopher, as well as two grandchildren, Ever and Ollie.
Seminars
"Politics, the Court & the National Mood: On the Road with Senator Doug Jones"
Since leaving the United States Senate, I’ve traveled the country campaigning for Democrats and speaking to civic groups. I’ve also spent months in D.C. visiting Senate offices to catch up with old colleagues and as “sherpa” for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. I’ve had the view from the ground AND the view from inside and an opportunity to talk to voters and politicians in equal measure. I’ve even spent some time at home in Alabama. I’ll weave the strands of my career from Hill staffer to U.S. Attorney to Senator to road warrior to examine how our politics are meeting the moment, where we are falling short and what we can do about it.
Each week, we’ll start with a brief discussion of the previous week in politics with particular emphasis on where my political travels are taking me leading up to the midterm elections before diving into the topic at hand.
I’ll use the first week to introduce myself to the class, then lead a discussion on where things stand one month out from the midterms. How have the fortunes of the two political parties shifted over the year? Does this look to be a national race with the historical headwinds for the Democrats, or will Tip O’Neill’s old adage that “All politics is local” give an advantage to one party or the other, especially after the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe vs. Wade? How is the “Trump factor” playing out? We’ll examine key races for control of the Senate and House and probably a few state races in battleground states.
The insurrection that occurred January 6, 2021 was one of the darkest days in American history. Many would argue that what happened that day was more than simply a violent attack on the Capitol, that it was a demonstration of how fragile our democracy truly is. Between the January 6th Committee, the various investigations by state and federal authorities and the amount of misinformation that exist, have we learned any lessons on what happened and why? Have the threats to our elections and our democracy grown, or are we taking steps to pull back?
Special Guest: U.S. Representative Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Member of the January 6thCommittee
Building on the discussion from the previous week, calls for the investigation and prosecution of a certain former President have only grown louder. While there appear to be both civil and criminal investigations being conducted in NY and GA, class will draw on my experience as a United States Attorney and focus on what we know and don’t know about the investigations being conducted by the Department of Justice and the FBI. We’ll talk about the difference in the evidence collected by the Jan. 6 Committee and that required to present in a criminal court; the investigative and grand jury process in federal court; the execution of a federal search warrant at the home of a former President and the various criminal statutes at play. We’ll also discuss the broader political and societal implications of investigating and prosecuting a former President of the United States.
Special Guest: Joyce Vance, MSNBC columnist, NBC News & MSNBC Legal Analyst, Law Professor at the University of Alabama School of Law, and former U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Alabama
This will be a behind-the-scenes look into the historic confirmation process of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. We’ll look at when the process began, how the team was put together and the strategy that included vetting, outreach, communications and nominee preparation for meetings with Senators and the confirmation hearing. We’ll also take a look at the confirmation process itself – where it has come and where it is going. And maybe an analysis of the Court today? Where is it going, and what’s on the docket?
Special Guest: Dana Remus, former Assistant to the President and White House Counsel for President Biden
As a follow-up to my colleague Laura Dove’s seminar regarding the filibuster in week 4, we’ll take a closer look at the calls for reform or outright elimination of the filibuster. Is reform or elimination actually needed to move legislation, or are the calls just coming from frustrated progressives who can’t move their agenda? There are already a number of exceptions or so-called “carve outs.” Should there be more? What about the “talking filibuster” that would require Senators to hold the floor for the length of the debate?
Special Guest: Jeff Merkley, U.S. Senator from Oregon
The South was once solidly in the camp of the Democratic Party, but what exactly did the Democratic Party of the “Solid South” look like, and was it inevitable that it would give way to the more conservative Republicans? Upon signing the Civil Rights Act in 1964, LBJ famously said “We have lost the South for a generation.” But, while Southern states rarely voted Democratic in presidential elections after that, most states were controlled by Democrats for some time - but no longer. The “Solid South” is now solidly Republican. What were the factors that caused such a shift, and can the pendulum ever swing back? Would Southern states, individually or as a region, benefit more by being more “purple?”
Special Guests: Brandon Jones, Director of Political Campaigns at SPLC; Seth Levi, Chief Program Strategy Officer at SPLC; and Doug Turner, Consultant at EveryVoice
The final seminar will be one week following the midterm elections. We’ll examine the results across the board - the Senate, the House and key state races - and what it means for the future of both parties, the next two years of the Biden Administration and democracy in general. We’ll also pull out our crystal balls to handicap the 2024 Presidential race.