Supreme Court Confirmation Process

Now that we have a nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, the process of evaluation and confirmation hearings begins. You can find background about the process, confirmation surveys, and hearings documents on the web sites of two key players: the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which holds hearings, and the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, which peer-evaluates the professional qualifications of Supreme Court and other nominees for the federal bench, issuing "ratings letters" for each nominee. As the process continues this summer, you'll want to have these sites bookmarked for quick access to the relevant documents as they are posted. You'll also be able to compare them with statements, surveys, and hearings for judges now serving on the Court.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

SCOTUS Nominee: Sonia Sotomayer

Today Pres. Obama announced Second Circuit judge Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee for the United States Supreme Court. She would replace Justice Souter who announced his decision to retire from the Court at the end of this term. The wikipedia entry on Judge Sotomayor may be found here, and a discussion of her opinions is available on SCOTUSblog here.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Kangaroo Courts

The Yankees recently held their first kangaroo court in over a decade. Mariano Rivera presided as judge. The Mariners also recently held a kangaroo court, and it sounds as though Ken Griffey, Jr. had better robes than Rivera, but that neither was dressed quite as poorly as Wade Boggs when he presided over the previous Yankees kangaroo court, if you believe the rumors.

Black's says that the origin of the term "kangaroo court" is uncertain, but that it can be traced to the mid-nineteenth century American West.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat