Supreme Court Nominations

Can Kagan Sway Conservative Justices? Not Likely, Law Profs Say

President Obama cited Elena Kagan’s reputation as a consensus-builder when he nominated the solicitor general to replace Justice John Paul Stevens, but people skills displayed as dean of Harvard Law School may not translate into changed votes on the U.S. Supreme Court. The New York Times asked several law professors…

May 17, 2010 11:00 AM CDT

This Week’s News: Meet Elena Kagan, Supreme Court Nominee

A smorgasbord of of news rounding out the week concerning the nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan for a U.S. Supreme Court seat focuses not only on her qualifications for the job and political views (as best they can be determined), but personal qualities and marital status (single). A Media…

May 14, 2010 11:15 PM CDT

Kagan’s Civil Procedure Class Was ‘Nothing Short of Terrifying,’ Blogger Says

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is being praised for healing rifts as dean of Harvard Law School, but she also has a tough side, as Above the Law blogger Elie Mystal can attest. Mystal took Kagan’s civil procedure class and learned that Kagan doesn’t have much patience for students…

May 14, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

Today’s News: Kagan’s on Smooth Glide Path, Due to Lack of Court Rulings, Politico Says

Solicitor General Elena Kagan is on a smooth glide path to likely confirmation as a U.S. Supreme Court nominee, predicts Politico. Although the GOP isn’t expected to make the process easy, “the merciful dearth of a judicial paper trail” will give Republicans little ammunition against her, Politico says. More Kagan…

May 12, 2010 12:07 AM CDT

Kagan Fits Mold of ‘Organization Kids’ Who Didn’t Take Risks, Columnist Says

Elena Kagan’s personality type appears to be in the same mold of the “Organization Kids” who joined elite colleges under a “meritocratic system” and displayed an aversion to intellectual risk, an op-ed columnist says. The kids had great recommendations, broad extracurricular interests and pleasing personalities, columnist David Brooks writes for…

May 11, 2010 12:56 PM CDT

A ‘Sleeper Issue’? Kagan Urged Clinton to Support Ban on Late-Term Abortions

Elena Kagan’s stance on the hot-button issue of abortion could be a new issue in her confirmation hearings, now that documents have surfaced in which she urged then-President Clinton to support a ban on late-term abortions. The Associated Press has dislosed the documents written by Kagan in 1997 when she…

May 11, 2010 12:10 PM CDT

Today’s News: Obama Picks Kagan, GOP Lawmakers Launch SCOTUS YouTube Channel

After this morning’s announcement by President Barack Obama that he had selected Solicitor General Elena Kagan as his choice for the U.S. Supreme Court seat being vacated by Justice John Paul Stevens, the media whirred into gear with details about her background and the confirmation battle that just about any…

May 11, 2010 12:01 AM CDT

Chemerinsky, Stras & Turk on Kagan’s Nomination (Podcast)

Podcast Transcript: After weeks of speculation, it was leaked yesterday that Elena Kagan would be President Obama’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee. It’s doubtful many were surprised by the news, but lawyers have a quite a few thoughts on what comes next for Kagan, who’s currently serving as the country’s solicitor…

May 10, 2010 3:48 PM CDT

President Obama Introduces Kagan as a ‘Trailblazing Leader’

Corrected: President Obama has introduced his U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan as a person who embodies the same “excellence, independence, integrity and passion for the law” as the man she would replace, Justice John Paul Stevens. In his announcement this morning, Obama called Stevens a “consistent voice of reason”…

May 10, 2010 2:15 PM CDT

An Intellectual Kagan Had Supreme Court Ambitions in High School, Classmate Says

A classmate who attended high school in the 1970s with Solicitor General Elena Kagan says she had an ambitious goal at the time: to be a U.S. Supreme Court justice. Natalie Bowden was a classmate at Hunter College High School, where students gained admission on the basis of an entrance…

May 10, 2010 12:18 PM CDT

Is There a ‘Wise Latina’-Type Revelation Lurking in Kagan’s Background?

The debate over the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor was largely driven by her prior comment about a “wise Latina” possibly being able to reach a better result as a judge. Is there a similar revelation lurking in the background of Elena Kagan, said to be Obama’s choice…

May 10, 2010 11:14 AM CDT

Reports: Obama to Pick Kagan for Supreme Court

President Obama has selected Solicitor General Elena Kagan to succeed retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, according to reports by Politico and NBC News Sunday. The 50-year-old progressive—who would be the court’s youngest current justice—could serve for decades if confirmed by the Senate, making her one of the…

May 10, 2010 2:16 AM CDT

Think Kagan Is Anti-Military and Pro-Executive Power? Think Again, Epic Post Asserts

If you listen to some pundits, Solicitor General Elena Kagan has an expansive view of executive power and a dislike for the military. But SCOTUSblog says critics and supporters alike are misinterpreting Kagan’s views on executive power, overlooking her support for the military, and wrongly equating stances she took as…

May 10, 2010 12:00 AM CDT

White House Counsel Bauer Learns from Sotomayor Confirmation Problems

White House counsel Bob Bauer and his wife, the former communications director for President Obama, will both have a role in the effort to win confirmation for the next Supreme Court nominee. Bauer will oversee the entire White House confirmation effort, while his wife, Anita Dunn, will coordinate campaigns in…

May 7, 2010 11:00 AM CDT

Potential Nominee Sidney Thomas Sees Bankruptcy Cases as Microcosm

Federal appeals Judge Sidney Thomas has a resumé that includes 17 years of law practice and a career on the bench where he wrote at least one controversial opinion that conservatives plan to cite if he is nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Thomas is a white male, but he…

May 6, 2010 1:22 PM CDT