Judicial Action Group (JAG) is a 501(c)(4) organization that advocates for social conservatism in the judicial system.¹ The organization reviews judges based on their records on the issues of marriage, life, and religious liberty as a basis for advocating for or against judicial nominees. JAG believes that, “By returning the judiciary to its proper role of deciding cases and not legislating from the bench, [it] will re-empower Congress, the States, and the People to make laws that favor, life, marriage, decency, private property, religious freedom, and other vital American values.”²

Neither JAG’s Facebook page nor website have been updated since 2015, with the exception of sporadically published press releases corresponding to significant judicial activity and pending nominations. Its staff is associated with controversial radical social conservative impeached Alabama judge Roy Moore.³

The Judicial Action Group, along with National Federation of Republican Women, the American Legislative Exchange Council, and Americans for Limited Government, supports a “Keep Nine” amendment to the constitution, that would limit the number of Supreme Court Justices to nine and prevent a president from packing the court for partisan reasons. ⁴

Judicial Nominations

In 2017, JAG criticized Judge William Pryor of the federal 11th Circuit Court of Appeals for his decisions in cases dealing with the question of gay and transgender rights. It argued that his decisions demonstrated that he “has failed to interpret the Constitution as the framers intended.”⁵

In 2018, JAG criticized judge Brett Kavanaugh of the D.C. Circuit Court for making “unnecessary concessions” in his opinions in Garza v. Hargan. In Garza, Kavanaugh dissented because he found that granting an abortion to an illegal minor would fail to recognize the federal government’s “permissible interest in favoring fetal life, protecting the best interests of a minor, and refraining from facilitating abortion.” JAG criticized Kavanaugh for not joining the opinion of Judge Karen Henderson, who wrote a separate opinion claiming that an illegal immigrant has no constitutional right to an abortion.⁶

After the announcement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement in July 2018, JAG joined the right-wing social conservative groups American Family Association and American Principles Project in urging President Donald Trump to nominate judge Amy Barrett of the federal 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to fill the vacancy.⁷

Finances

As a 501(c)(4) organization, JAG is not required to disclose its donors. In 2007, JAG received $4,336 from the social conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom.⁸

According to its 2021 990 Tax Form, JAG reported its revenue at $151, 328, its expenses at $123,080, and its assets at $30,728. ⁹

People

Phillip L. Jauregui has served as the president of JAG since April 2006. In that same year, he was also appointed to the a network of attorneys associated with Alliance Defending Freedom. Jauregui is also a partner at Jauregui & Lindsey, a private law firm in Alabama. Jauregui clerked for the late Justice Perry Hooper Sr. (R), former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, and served as the assistant legal advisor to Alabama Governor Fob James, Jr. (R). He also served as the executive director of the conservative Judeo-Christian Council as well as serving on the board of directors at Sav-A-Life. Notably, Jauregui served as the lawyer and campaign spokesperson for Roy Moore, a controversial extreme social conservative former Alabama judge and failed Republican candidate in Alabama’s the 2017 U.S. Senate special election.¹⁰¹¹

Stuart Brockwell serves as the IT and social media director for Judicial Action Group. During college, Brockwell served as JAG’s intern and was hired immediately upon his graduation from Samford University.¹²

1. “Our Mission: Judicial Renewal.” Judicial Action Group. Accessed July 05, 2018. http://judicialactiongroup.org/content/about.
2. “Our Mission: Judicial Renewal.” Judicial Action Group. Accessed July 05, 2018. http://judicialactiongroup.org/content/about.
3. “Meet the Team.” Jauregui & Lindsey. Accessed July 02, 2018. http://www.jandllawfirm.com/.
4. McLaughlin, Dan. “The ‘Keep Nine’ Amendment Can Save the Supreme Court.” National Review. National Review, July 29, 2021. https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/07/the-keep-nine-amendment-can-save-the-supreme-court/.
5. Kindy, Kimberly. “Pryor: Perhaps the Most Polarizing Supreme Court Justice Possibility.” The Washington Post. January 28, 2017. Accessed July 02, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/pryor-perhaps-the-most-polarizing-supreme-court-justice-possibility/2017/01/28/f25bb7e2-e4ae-11e6-ba11-63c4b4fb5a63_story.html?utm_term=.f29f1b5924e2.
6. Coffin, Shannen W. “Scurrilous Attacks on a Potential Trump Nominee – from the Right.” National Review. June 29, 2018. Accessed July 02, 2018. https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/06/brett-kavanaugh-conservative-judge-supreme-court/.
7. Easley, Jonathan, and Alexis Simendinger. “The Hill’s Morning Report – Sponsored by Better Medicare Alliance – Protests and Anger: Washington in Turmoil as Elections near.” TheHill. July 02, 2018. Accessed July 02, 2018. http://thehill.com/homenews/morning-report/395117-the-hills-morning-report.
8. “Grant Visualizer: Judicial Action Group.” Foundation Search. Accessed July 5, 2018. www.foundationsearch.com.
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Judicial Action Group. 2021. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/202603039/202233189349313338/full
10. “JAG Staff – Judicial Action Group.” Judicial Action Group. Accessed July 02, 2018. http://judicialactiongroup.org/content/JAG-Staff.
11. “Meet the Team.” Jauregui & Lindsey. Accessed July 02, 2018. http://www.jandllawfirm.com/.
12. “JAG Staff – Judicial Action Group.” Judicial Action Group. Accessed July 02, 2018. http://judicialactiongroup.org/content/JAG-Staff.