Supreme Court Allows Lisa Cook to Continue Serving on Federal Reserve Board

Read a PDF of our statement here.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve Board, may retain her position on the board as she challenges President Trump's unlawful attempt to fire her without just cause. In the decision, the Court ruled that the President was likely to lose Cook's challenge because the President may only remove members of the Federal Reserve Board if they receive basic due process, including the right to respond to any allegations of misconduct.

This limit on the President is necessary in order to preserve the Board's ability to make independent decisions. Cook was not given notice of the President's intent to remove her, nor was she given an opportunity to dispute the claims against her, as is required by federal law.

In 2025, President Trump attempted, for the first time in the 111-year history of the Federal Reserve, to unilaterally remove a Federal Reserve Board governor. His unprecedented attempt to fire Cook would have severely compromised the long-standing independence of the Federal Reserve and threatened the integrity of U.S. economic policy as well as the international economy.

In response to the ruling, Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, issued the following statement:

"The firing of Lisa Cook was an intentional effort to undermine an independent agency and humiliate a Black woman in a high-profile position because she disagreed with his agenda. It failed. But it was not an aberration. The Trump administration has relentlessly targeted qualified Black officials through unprecedented executive overreach.

"Avoiding oversight of any kind, violating separation of powers, and using political pressure to compromise crucial facets of our government have become the hallmarks of this president's disastrous second term. Congress created the Federal Reserve as an independent agency to protect the American economy from just this kind of political interference. We are relieved that the Supreme Court followed its duty to protect the rule of law."

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF)is the nation's first civil rights legal organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957, though it was founded under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall while he was at the NAACP. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI) is a division of LDF that undertakes innovative research and houses LDF's archive. In all media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF (do not include NAACP) and refer to the Institute as LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute or TMI.