American Bar Association President Linda Klein responded recently to a statement from the White House that it does not plan on inviting the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary to review federal court nominees.
Klein noted that President Eisenhower first invited the ABA into the process in 1953.
“Since then, with the exception of the George W. Bush administration, the ABA has been asked by every administration to conduct pre-nomination evaluations of the professional qualification of prospective nominees,” she said. “This helps to ensure the highest quality judiciary through an objective, nonpartisan review of the professional competence, integrity and judicial temperament of
those who would have lifetime appointments to our federal courts.”
those who would have lifetime appointments to our federal courts.”
Over the years, Klein said the work of the ABA committee “has done much to instill public confidence and trust in the judiciary.”
“The ABA, through its standing committee, will continue to provide its objective evaluations to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of the judicial confirmation process,” she said.
