Supreme Court Nominations

Holder Disavows Insider Knowledge After Kagan Comment

Attorney General Eric Holder spotted what he considered a great photo op during a federal appeals conference: Solicitor General Elena Kagan, rumored to be on the short list of possible Supreme Court nominees, was speaking with retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. The Washington Post noted Holder’s comment: “Boy, the press…

May 6, 2010 11:34 AM CDT

Obama Mulls Supreme Court Pick, Hasn’t Yet Chosen Potential ‘Leader,’ Aide Says

As President Barack Obama considers who to nominate for an upcoming vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, a senior adviser tells the Associated Press that he is looking to choose the person best able to assume, sooner or later, the influential leadership role of retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. “You…

May 5, 2010 11:04 PM CDT

Garland Has More Assets than Others on Shorter Supreme Court Short List

Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is leading three other potential U.S. Supreme Court nominees on at least one score: his household investment assets. The National Law Journal reviewed financial disclosure forms for Garland, Judge Diane Wood of the 7th U.S.…

May 5, 2010 2:23 PM CDT

Obama Interviews 7th Circuit Judge Diane Wood for Potential Supreme Court Nod

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden today interviewed 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Diane Wood for a potential seat on the nation’s top court, reports the Caucus blog of the New York Times. It is the fourth set of in-person interviews that the two have conducted…

May 5, 2010 12:05 AM CDT

Stevens Talks Cubs, Pulls ‘Rank’ and Gives Kagan Top Billing at 7th Circuit Dinner

There were several U.S. Supreme Court prospects attending a Chicago meeting of the 7th Circuit Bar Association, but just one got top billing at a dinner Monday evening, thanks to the man who declined the spot, Justice John Paul Stevens. “I pulled rank,” the soon-to-be-retired justice told the audience, refusing…

May 4, 2010 2:53 PM CDT

Supreme Court Nominee May Be Announced This Week; Newsweek Bets on a Woman

President Obama could announce his U.S. Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice John Paul Stevens as early as this week. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that Obama was close to a decision, CBS News reports in a story noted by The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.…

May 4, 2010 11:59 AM CDT

Supreme Court Waits—and Waits—for Kagan’s Immigration Brief

So far, Solicitor General Elena Kagan has managed to avoid most controversial issues that come before the U.S. Supreme Court. That will likely change when the potential Supreme Court nominee files a long-awaited brief providing the administration’s views of a controversial Arizona immigration law, the Los Angeles Times reports. The…

May 4, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

Kagan Has Her Supreme Court Interview; Short List Said to Be Shorter

President Obama’s interviews of potential Supreme Court nominees continued on Friday when he reportedly spoke to Solicitor General Elena Kagan. The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.), Newsweek and Fox News reported the development, relying on unnamed sources. The day before, Obama had interviewed 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge…

May 3, 2010 12:09 PM CDT

A Man of Moderation

The last justice of the ‘greatest generation,’ gentlemanly John Paul Stevens says farewell

May 1, 2010 9:20 AM CDT

Practical Meaning: As the Court Shifted Right, Stevens Kept His Place

The more things changed, the more John Paul Stevens stayed the same. Appointed by the moderate Republican President Gerald Ford—another Midwesterner and World War II vet—Stevens resolutely insists that his middle-of-the-road, practical legal values are as visible at his retirement this year as they were at his 1975 appointment. “You…

May 1, 2010 9:10 AM CDT

Obama Has Also Interviewed Garland for Supreme Court Vacancy

In addition to interviewing 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Sidney Thomas yesterday, President Barack Obama has also recently interviewed Judge Merrick Garland of the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., as a potential candidate for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, reports the Caucus blog of the…

Apr 30, 2010 8:38 PM CDT

In Impromptu Remarks, Obama Criticizes Conservative Judicial Activism

President Obama says it’s time to apply the concept of judicial restraint to conservative judicial activists who are ignoring the will of Congress. “The concept of judicial restraint cuts both ways,” Obama said Wednesday evening, recalling that liberal judges had faced criticism for overturning laws in the 1960s and 1970s.…

Apr 30, 2010 12:15 PM CDT

Obama Interviews Sidney Thomas for Top Court Seat as ‘Epic Battle’ for Confirmation Looms

Apparently adding a new name to his short list of potential candidates for a U.S. Supreme Court seat, President Barack Obama today reportedly spent a significant amount of time interviewing 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Sidney Thomas, the Associated Press reports. It is the president’s first known interview…

Apr 29, 2010 11:53 PM CDT

Federalist Society Launches New US Supreme Court Website

The Federalist Society has launched a new website that is intended to serve as a one-stop destination for news, documents and “commentary from across the legal, political and philosophical spectrum” concerning U.S. Supreme Court nominations. It is also intended to educate and promote public debate about the role of the…

Apr 28, 2010 8:04 PM CDT

Oklahoma Bombing Case Had Lasting Impact on Potential Nominee Merrick Garland

Federal appeals Judge Merrick Garland tends to have more of a law-and-order focus than other Democratic appointees on his court, likely because of views influenced by his prosecutor background and his investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing. Friends and former colleagues told the New York Times that the Oklahoma City…

Apr 28, 2010 1:15 PM CDT