No Rulings About Us, Without Us
A Message from Juvaria S. Khan, Founder & CEO of The Appellate Project
“The law is not—and never has been—a fixed or black-and-white truth. It is continuously reinterpreted by those who have the privilege of serving as appellate lawyers and judges, all of whom—like all of us—are shaped by their values, backgrounds, and networks.”
Whether it was the poetic rhythm of my parents’ Urdu, the expressiveness of my relatives’ Punjabi, or the fluidity and force of English, I have always loved words. This love helped draw me to the legal profession, where words hold the ultimate power: they make up our laws, shaping how we live.
Imagine my surprise, years into practicing law, when I realized what appellate law entails. Here are lawyers and judges who get to decide, at the highest levels, the meaning of the words in our laws. Their decisions determine how these laws will impact all of us in the most intimate aspects of our lives, from how we shape our families to the protections our democracy provides.
Emblazoned on the front of the Supreme Court is the north star of our legal system: equal justice under law.
This belief in equal justice led my parents to immigrate here for a better life, just as it has inspired countless individuals throughout our country’s history to overcome incredible obstacles—including risking their lives—in the hopes of creating a system that treats them as equals. Their stories are also part of appellate law.
Yet the appellate system has become so ideologically and demographically homogenous that it has lost its foundational purpose as a place for rigorous debate on complex legal issues. The law is not—and never has been—a fixed or black-and-white truth. It is continuously revisited by those who have the privilege of serving as appellate lawyers and judges, all of whom—like all of us—are shaped by their values, backgrounds, and networks.
I founded The Appellate Project because I believe that our highest courts are strongest when they include meaningful diversity of lived experiences and perspectives. As our communities’ histories are erased from classrooms and even from our courts, the stakes of who speaks for us is increasingly urgent.
This is why we are doubling down on a simple principle as we enter TAP’s new chapter: No rulings about us, without us.
From the beginning, our work has been about redefining legal excellence to include superstars who have too long been overlooked because they do not have the “right” networks or opportunities. It is about building power through community. And it is about transforming the culture of appellate law into one that genuinely values rigorous debate by welcoming those whose lived experiences and perspectives have been consistently largely excluded.
That remains our work. And it is even more essential today.
Our refreshed brand and new website reflect our growing role as a hub for leadership, learning, and thought on the future of appellate law. We are demystifying how the appellate system works, naming the hidden infrastructure that has long elevated some while excluding others. Through our News & Voices section, you’ll find more stories, more perspectives, and deeper context—because narrative is power. And you’ll hear thought leadership from across our community that invites us to think about appellate law’s role in democracy.
We are also strengthening our programming to create new pathways into appellate practice, developing the infrastructure that has long been missing. Drawing on our learnings from TAP’s first four years, our team is busy building innovative programming focused on deepening our impact and ensuring aspiring appellate advocates—whether they are law students, young professionals, or our growing alumni community—have the resources, access, and encouragement they need to thrive in our highest courts.
“Equal justice under law” will only be real when it is real for all of us.
That is the work TAP was created to do—and it is work we can only do together. Join us in building an appellate system that truly reflects us all.
