“Given the caliber of nominees I’m seeing, I’m not comfortable creating a spot that might be filled by someone consistent with the qualifications, or lack of qualifications, of some of the folks I’ve seen nominated." -- Anonymous appellate judge quoted in this BuzzFeed article from yesterday.
Of course there's no issue with staying on board until there's a President you agree with, but other than the occasional outlier, this criticism seems wrong to me. Whether or not you agree with the politics of Trump's nominees so far, the majority of them seem qualified. Speaking of which, there are still 5 openings waiting to be filled in the Southern District of Florida. Sources tell me that all 10 JNC finalists have been interviewed by the Senators and/or the White House. Sources also tell me that the Senators won't be narrowing the list down to 5 recommendations for President Trump (as has been done with previous administrations). Instead, all 10 nominees will be sent to the President's desk and he will pick 5 out of those... or 5 different selections... or a combination. No one seems to know.
There's also this bubbling fight with the ABA over Trump's judicial picks.
The SDFLA Blog is dedicated to providing news and notes regarding federal practice in the Southern District of Florida. The New Times calls the blog "the definitive source on South Florida's federal court system." All tips on court happenings are welcome and will remain anonymous. Please email David Markus at dmarkus@markuslaw.com
4 comments:
"Occasional outlier"?
Wow, if true (re the Senators' not narrowing the list).
Altman, Greenberg, Haimes, Ruiz and Visconti.
The ABA should have no greater role in the judicial nomination process than any other voluntary bar association, e.g., the Federalist Society, the Hispanic National Bar Association, Lambda Legal, National Bar Association, etc. It's somewhat incredible the influence one organization has gained over time, and the resulting sense of entitlement. The White House, Senate, and FBI surely can adequately vet a nominee. All other input should be welcomed and considered, but one voluntary bar association should not exert undue influence.
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