Skip ABA Reviews for Justices?

3--18--2001

It was reported today that the new Bush administration is thinking about skipping ABA reviews of new federal justice nominations. Now that is a grand idea.

Whatever makes anyone think that an ABA review is worthwhile in the first place? Besides rating politically as much as anything, the idea that justices should have a rating related to the current legal "atmosphere" and training is one of the major problems with our system. In fact, the notion that a judge should be a lawyer is foolish on its face. And the likelihood of a generally liberal group as lawyers tend to be does in fact tend to promote lop-sided types. It's time more balance came into play.

ABA President Martha Barnett reportedly responded that the ABA review process develops "public trust" and "confidence" in judges. Her head is in the sand as deeply as that of most lawyers and judges. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The CRJ hopes the administration will charge right ahead and eliminate ABA reviews of Supreme Court (and any other federal) justice nominees. ABA reviews were an idea who's time never arrived in the first place.