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Academic

: Less than the Least

Pam Karlan and Souter's Seat--Stuntz

By David Skeel and Bill Stuntz

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If Obama wants to appoint a Scalia for the left, he should choose Pam Karlan, a longtime colleague of mine at Virginia who now teaches at Stanford. Pam is (1) brilliant, (2) broadly knowledgeable — Cass Sunstein aside, I can't think of anyone who knows so much about so many different legal fields — and (3) a spectacularly gifted writer. The last point matters enormously. Robert Jackson served only thirteen years on the Supreme Court, but his opinions remain influential today because of his talent with language. Many judges and justices leave their mark on the law because of their votes. Only a few have influence that lasts beyond their lifespan, and the common thread in those judicial careers is an uncommon ability to capture a complicated argument in a memorable phrase. Henry Friendly, Learned Hand, Louis Brandeis, Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Marshall — all had that talent, and many of those phrases survive and shape legal doctrine today. Intellectual horsepower helps, but horsepower alone isn't enough to produce a lasting impact on the law. David Souter is a perfect example: he may be among the smartest Justices to serve on the Court, but he seems incapable of producing clear, tight opinions. A couple decades hence, few will cite his work.

The opposite is true of Justice Scalia, whose outsized influence stems from his ability to write captivating, scathing, and often funny opinions. Of the names I've seen mentioned, Pam and the D.C. Circuit's Merrick Garland are potentially in that league; my former boss Elena Kagan may be as well. I'm not sure who is the wisest of the three, but Pam is the best writer. I know no one else who can turn out so much work that is so pleasing to read. Plus, she can be devastatingly funny. That is a recipe for the kind of influence that lasts.

Most presidents miss this point. One hears a lot about the smarts and experience of judicial appointees, but rarely about their language skills. The same is true in my line of work: productivity and intelligence count far more heavily in academic hiring decisions than a knack for the perfect turn of phrase. That is a mistake. The legal and academic markets are filled to overflowing with smart opinions and law review articles. The ones that stand out are fun to read — and those are few and far between.

Full post as published by Less than the Least on May 02, 2009 (boomark / email).