Thursday, January 18, 2018

Justice Alex Acosta?

Justice Alex Acosta?

Politico has an interesting article this morning that Labor Secretary Alex Acosta may be in line for a federal judgeship. The questions is whether it would be on the 11th Circuit or the Supreme Court:

Business representatives now see these ambitions as possibly driving Acosta’s risk-averse approach to the DOL, even as several of his executive branch counterparts are moving to aggressively disrupt other agencies. A stalled Senate confirmation process for department leadership posts below Acosta has also contributed to the pace.

Whether the White House actually has Acosta on its radar to fill a potential Supreme Court or appellate vacancy is unclear. But Bloomberg Law interviews with those who know the secretary and a review of his public comments dating back to the 1990s demonstrate Acosta’s undeniable passion for the judicial system. What’s more, he is close friends with Leonard Leo, the Federalist Society vice president credited for orchestrating the selections of the last three Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices.

Acosta is “certainly somebody who has a lot of credentials that you would look for in appointing judges,” Ronald Cass, a past chair of two Federalist Society practice groups and former member of the American Bar Association committee that screens judicial appointments, told Bloomberg Law. “He’s got a broad academic background, a broad legal background, he’s somebody who is clearly bright and thoughtful.”

Acosta would make an excellent Judge. I hope this story has legs.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:54 AM

    Question, however, is to fill what seat (if on the Eleventh Circuit). Would have to be Tjoflat or Marcus, and neither, from what I've heard, is even considering going senior or retiring.

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  2. Anonymous11:23 AM

    There is currently an opening in the 11th Cir

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  3. Anonymous1:00 PM

    11:23 is wrong and right. There is a vacancy created by Judge Hull's taking of senior status. But, there is a nominee for that seat and she was voted out of committee this morning.

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  4. Anonymous5:29 PM

    MAGA

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  5. Anonymous5:45 PM

    And that seat is considered a Georgia one. We won't see a Florida nominee until, as 9:54 says, a Florida-based judge retires or goes senior.

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