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Protect Our Judges was officially formed in January 2026, but its origins are rooted in years of firsthand experience. Its founders watched as attacks on judges escalated, witnessing these threats not from a distance but from within the legal community itself.

Nicole Battles, Cynthia Jones, Tom Vertetis, and Mike Wampold are longtime leaders in the legal community. Each has served in significant roles supporting the M. Margaret McKeown Federal Bar Association, with Cynthia, Tom, and Mike also serving as Ninth Circuit Lawyer Representatives—court-appointed positions that help foster communication and collaboration between the federal bench and the bar. Nicole provides executive management and consulting services to legal membership associations and nonprofits nationwide, including the M. Margaret McKeown Federal Bar Association and the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Through these roles, they have worked closely with federal and state judges throughout Washington State and across the fifteen districts of the Ninth Circuit. Their service has provided them with a unique vantage point into the functioning of the federal and state judiciary and the essential role the judiciary plays in preserving judicial independence and the rule of law.

Together, the founders bring decades of experience working alongside members of the federal and state judiciary. Through these relationships, they have witnessed firsthand the increasing threats and pressures facing the courts and are committed to supporting and protecting the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law.