Conservative nonprofits funded $1.8M campaign to support Thomas on 25th SCOTUS anniversary

Leonard Leo, a former executive vice president for the conservative Federalist Society, is a “behind-the-scenes” benefactor for conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices, supporting them during confirmation battles and again after they take the bench, according to the Washington Post.

Jul 21, 2023 11:27 AM CDT

The ABA needs ideological diversity to ensure its future

A generation ago, nearly half of the lawyers in the United States were members of the American Bar Association. Today, that number is probably closer to 20%, if not lower. This decline is often attributed to an unwillingness of young attorneys to join civic organizations. Or perhaps lawyers no longer see tangible benefits from membership. Or maybe the dues are too high. All of these explanations ignore the elephant in the room—and I mean elephant in the figurative and political sense. The American Bar Association consistently skews to the political left. And this progressive mandate alienates conservative lawyers.

Apr 20, 2023 12:49 PM CDT

My Kavanaugh tips were never investigated by the FBI, say Akin Gump partner and others

Controversy and secrecy still surround the FBI’s probe of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, conducted after Christine Blasey Ford testified during his nomination hearing that he sexually assaulted her during a party that they attended in high school.

Sep 28, 2022 11:59 AM CDT

Weekly Briefs: Bannon convicted for contempt of Congress; suit targets Skittles ingredient

Steve Bannon convicted for contempt of Congress

Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Steve Bannon, a former adviser for former President Donald Trump, on two counts of…

Jul 22, 2022 3:28 PM CDT

Georgetown Law retains incoming scholar despite his ‘lesser Black woman’ tweet

The Georgetown University Law Center won’t be firing the incoming leader of its constitutional center after determining that his controversial tweets happened before his Feb. 1 start date.

Jun 3, 2022 10:38 AM CDT

Are criticisms during SCOTUS confirmation hearings a disservice to viewers?

Everyone familiar with this column over the last five years knows its central focus is the intersection of law and pop culture. Most of my installments focus on various forms of media and my observations regarding their law-related issues. There are times when readers will suggest topics by reaching out via email, which I always love receiving. More often than not, though, it’s simply my love for pop culture in the law that allows me to derive legal topics from the media I’m ingesting.

Apr 27, 2022 9:51 AM CDT

‘I am the dream and the hope of the slave’: Ketanji Brown Jackson sees promise in historic confirmation

Speaking with emotion during a White House event, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson credited pathbreaking leaders and generations of persevering Americans for her historic confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Apr 8, 2022 1:22 PM CDT

With 53-47 confirmation vote, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will become first Black woman on Supreme Court

The U.S. Senate voted 53-47 on Thursday to confirm U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Jackson will become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court and the only justice with experience as a public defender. Jackson will replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, for whom she once worked for as a law clerk.

Apr 7, 2022 1:39 PM CDT

Barrett, Sotomayor comment on judging (the aim isn’t a policy result) and collegiality

In separate appearances this week, U.S. Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Sonia Sotomayor discussed the challenges of being a public figure, political polarization and collegiality on the high court.

Apr 6, 2022 3:19 PM CDT

Nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson moves to Senate with some GOP support

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is expected to win U.S. Senate confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court this week, after a majority of senators voted Monday evening to move her nomination out of a deadlocked committee.

Apr 5, 2022 10:00 AM CDT

Reigning Supreme: A tipped scale has unbalanced our ‘coequal’ branches of government

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination as the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court is historic and aspirational. But Jackson replaces retiring Justice Stephen G. Breyer, and the court will retain its lopsided 6-3 conservative supermajority.

Apr 1, 2022 2:00 AM CDT

Sidewalk abortion counselor, childhood friend among those weighing in on Jackson’s SCOTUS nomination

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday heard from panelists supporting and opposing Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, including a childhood friend, a sidewalk abortion counselor, a law enforcement representative and Alabama's attorney general.

Mar 24, 2022 1:22 PM CDT

Jackson showed no signs of bias in criminal cases, ABA evaluators tell senators; uniform high praise compelled top rating

The ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary gave U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson its “well qualified” rating after receiving consistent praise from those who knew her and reviewed her writing, committee representatives told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

Mar 24, 2022 11:13 AM CDT

Teen sentenced to 3 months by SCOTUS nominee Jackson felt ‘confusion and shock’ from images, his lawyer says

Many Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have focused their attention on a three-month sentence that U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson imposed on a youth in a child pornography case.

Mar 24, 2022 8:50 AM CDT

Jackson indicates she would recuse herself in challenge to Harvard’s race-conscious admissions

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson indicated Wednesday that she would recuse herself in a challenge to Harvard University’s race-conscious admissions policies before the high court.

Mar 23, 2022 3:12 PM CDT