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Should President Obama practice ageism when making judicial nominations?

By Douglas A. Berman

Thanks to How Appealing, I noticed this recent essay at The New Republic, headlined "Old World: Why isn't Obama appointing young judges to the circuit courts?". Here are snippets: Attention was understandably focused on Sonia Sotomayor this week, as her confirmation hearings unfolded. But what about Obama's other judicial nominees?  The president has so far nominated five judges to federal circuit courts. On average, these nominees are 55 years old, more than a decade older than Sotomayor was when she was nominated to the Second Circuit. (She was 43.) For years, Republicans have been nominating sharp young conservatives to the lower federal courts. Now, rather than looking for young legal talent of its own, a Democratic administration seems to be favoring older nominees...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on July 22, 2009 (boomark / email).