ABA Declares Judge Gorsuch “Well Qualified” for SCOTUS; Former clerk: Judge Gorsuch’s Career Dedicated to Judicial Independence
March 13, 2017
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7 Days until Senate Judiciary Committee hearing begins
- Politico’s Madeline Conway writes that the American Bar Association gave Judge Neil Gorsuch its highest rating for a judicial nominee.
Politico: Bar association gives Gorsuch its best rating
“The American Bar Association declared Judge Neil Gorsuch ‘well-qualified’ to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, giving President Donald Trump’s pick to succeed the late Antonin Scalia the group’s highest rating. The bar association’s standing committee on the federal judiciary reached its decision unanimously, according to Nancy Scott Degan, the group’s chair… ‘The ABA’s ringing endorsement is no surprise given Judge Gorsuch’s sterling credentials and his distinguished decade-long record on the Tenth Circuit,’ Grassley said. ‘Former Chairman [Patrick] Leahy and Minority Leader [Chuck] Schumer have called the ABA’s assessment the ‘gold standard’ in evaluating federal judicial nominations. In light of Judge Gorsuch’s impeccable record, it’s hard to imagine any other result from the ABA’s consideration.’”
- Writing for the Washington Post, Jonathan Adler notes that Judge Gorsuch has attracted “broad bipartisan support” among the legal community.
Washington Post: Judge Gorsuch attracts broad bipartisan support among legal elites
“While progressive activists may be itching for a fight over the Gorsuch nomination, many progressive attorneys and legal experts recognize the merits of the Gorsuch nomination. Writing in The Post last week, noted liberal lawyer David C. Frederick explained why ‘there is no principled reason to vote no’ on the Gorsuch nomination… Frederick, it is worth noting, served in the Clinton Justice Department and sits on the board of the American Constitution Society, a prominent progressive legal organization. Frederick is hardly alone. As the Gorsuch hearings approach, other prominent lawyers across the political spectrum have come out in support of President Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee. On Feb. 28, for instance, more than two dozen leading Supreme Court advocates from across the political spectrum signed a letter endorsing Gorsuch’s confirmation. Another letter, this one from more than 50 of Gorsuch’s Harvard Law classmates, released last week likewise includes signatories of all political stripes… Among the notable signatories of this letter is the Brookings Institution’s Norman Eisen, co-founder of CREW, who has led the efforts to expose and challenge Trump’s conflicts of interest and helped quarterback CREW’s emoluments clause lawsuit against the president.”
- Former clerk Leigh Llewelyn writes in the Orlando Sentinel that Judge Gorsuch has a record of judicial independence.
Llewelyn: Neil Gorsuch: A record of judicial independence
“People rightly want to know what Judge Neil Gorsuch, the president’s nominee to be the next associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, thinks about the independence of the judiciary. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York has called for him to publicly announce his views on the subject, writing that ‘[t]he only way to demonstrate the independence necessary is for Judge Gorsuch to answer specific questions about the judiciary and his judicial philosophy.’ But in all the clamor, Schumer has overlooked a simple fact: Throughout his career, Judge Gorsuch has spoken of little else…His speeches and writings reveal a judge wholly committed to the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. Interested observers would hear that ‘ours is supposed to be an independent judiciary making decisions on the legal merits without respect to the vagaries of shifting political winds.’ That in the judiciary, the Framers ‘charged individuals insulated from political pressures with the job of interpreting the law and applying it retroactively to resolve past disputes…’ Through his writings and speeches, Judge Gorsuch offers his insight into the essential need for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. His remarks may lack the kiss of the spotlight or the shock of a well-timed tweet, but sometimes it is the quiet voice that’s most worth listening to.”
- West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Conrad Lucas writes in the Huntington Herald-Dispatch that Democrats should stop trying to obstruct the nomination of Judge Gorsuch.
Lucas: Democrats should stop trying to obstruct Gorsuch confirmation
“Judge Gorsuch started his career clerking for Judge David Sentelle and Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy. In 2006, President George Bush nominated Judge Gorsuch to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, where he was confirmed by voice vote without objection. Even Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer supported Judge Gorsuch’s nomination. At that time, Senate Democrats called him ‘a very talented, gifted judge,’ ‘very ethical,’ ‘very smart,’ and ‘thoughtful and fair-minded.’ Top Senate Democrats supported Judge Gorsuch in 2006. Why now do they seem laser-focused on obstructing his confirmation process, just as they have done with every one of President Trump’s cabinet nominees? West Virginians elected President Trump to nominate a Supreme Court justice of the highest integrity to champion our nation’s Constitution. Yet, Sen. Joe Manchin’s colleagues would rather put politics before the American people. It’s not enough for Senator Manchin to say his fellow Democrats are wrong. Manchin must see that Senate Democrats confirm Judge Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court after allowing for a swift and fair hearing. If Senator Manchin chooses any other course of action, he forsakes the will of the West Virginians who sent him to Washington to represent their interests.”
