Litigation

Judge Wood Gets Latest Obama Interview

By Peter Hardin

Federal Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood (in photo) was interviewed by President Obama and Vice President Biden as the White House continued its search for the next Supreme Court nominee.

She was the fourth known candidate interviewed recently by the president, the Associated Press reported. Judge Wood also was interviewed by Obama last year about a Supreme Court opening, and she has gotten widespread discussion as a member of his short list of potential candidates.

Wood was the subject of a CNN article headlined, “Chicago judge’s record rates highly among progressives, colleagues.” Meanwhile a separate CNN profile featured Solicitor General Elena Kagan under the headline, “High court contender Kagan brings reputation for consensus-building.”

Obama previously interviewed Kagan and appeals court Judges Merrick Garland and Sidney Thomas.

The Kagan story brings to mind a Gavel Grab post highlighting a report that Obama is looking for a consensus builder; now the Associated Press suggests a political gamble in that strategy, in an article entitled, “Liberals fear Obama nominates moderate to court.”

In other news and commentary, Christopher Brooks wrote in National Law Journal his reasons for liking retired Georgia Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears for the high court. In the Wall Street Journal, Jess Bravin wrote that some of the best lobbyists for Supreme Court aspirants are their ex-clerks.

To learn more about the nomination process, politics, and Obama?s criteria, check out other Gavel Grab posts or visit Justice at Stake?s ?Replacing Justice Stevens? page.

Full post as published by The Gavel on May 05, 2010 (boomark / email).