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Writing the Book of Judges

Part 1: Obama’s Judicial Appointments Record after Six Years

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2022

Elliot Slotnick ,
Sheldon Goldman  and
Sara Schiavoni
Elliot Slotnick
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University
Sheldon Goldman
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Sara Schiavoni
Affiliation:
John Carroll University
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Abstract

This is part 1 of a two-part series detailing the selection and confirmation processes of lower federal court judges during President Obama’s first 6 years. Our attention in part 1 is on Obama’s lower federal court appointments during the 113th Congress, specifically on the selection processes. We then examine the backgrounds and attributes of those confirmed during the 113th, looking at the appointees to the district and appeals courts separately. Confirmation processes are the main focus of part 2 of our study, where we discuss the lead-up to the nuclear option, the “fallout” from its invocation, and the renewed emphasis on the Blue Slip system as a tool of the minority party in the Senate. We conclude by taking a deeper look at the administration’s historic contribution to enhancing diversity on the federal bench across the district and circuit courts and, as well, make a similar assessment of the impact of the Obama appointments on the partisan makeup of the federal bench on the district courts and across the appellate circuits.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Law and Courts , Volume 3 , Issue 2 , Fall 2015 , pp. 331 - 367
Copyright
© 2015 by Law and Courts Organized Section of the American Political Science Association. All rights reserved.

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