Biden's Influence on the Courts

[vcczar]

This is from this article, but I'll post crucial graphs below. Two parts mentioned where Biden is not really being diverse is that his justices are Blue state-centric, and he's appointed a much higher % of Ivy Leagues and Elite Law school justices. Trump shied away from elite schools more often than previous presidents: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-biden-is-reshaping-the-courts/

[jvikings1]

The move back towards Ivy League/T14 law schools is a step back. The top tiers are artificially inflated by name and do not really indicate the abilities of graduates (outside of the ability to score high on a standardized test).

[vcczar]

2 hours ago, jvikings1 said:

The move back towards Ivy League/T14 law schools is a step back. The top tiers are artificially inflated by name and do not really indicate the abilities of graduates (outside of the ability to score high on a standardized test).

I'm definitely a critic of standardized tests, but I also know that Ivy Leagues don't make their decision on that test. It's just part of that evaluation, along with grades, references, extra-curricular accomplishments, statement of purpose, and interview. 

I'm also in agreement that students of abilities can be found outside of Ivy League, possibly because I see myself as having been worthy of Ivy League but did not go there myself. However, I think it's also obvious that one is likely to find more high-ability students per capita at an Ivy League school for obvious reasons. Although one needs to add schools like Stanford, Chicago, UT, and other schools that have risen to Ivy League standards in many of their departments. 

If I were appointing SC justices, I don't think their education would even be part of my equation. I'd only appoint justices that were federal justices already or were formerly federal justices. I'd then look exclusively at their record and behavior during their federal judicial career. Whether they went to Ivy League or Southern New Hampshire wouldn't matter. 

One thing that's interesting is that Biden did not go to an Ivy League school despite these appointments, while Trump, Obama, Clinton, and both Bushes did go. 

 

[ConservativeElector2]

Generally I'd the brightest legal minds should be nominated regardless of their ethnicity, gender or Ivy League status. That should even play a role. So let alone the promise to diversify the benches seemed odd to me. While it may be fashionable to nominate people based on diversity, I can't see the point for Biden to go back to the Ivy League. My hope would be that there are the most capable people to be found. However, I had not thought Biden would recruit his people from the "cesspool of elitism". Anyway I would largely turn to former prosecutors as nominees, I guess.

[Hestia]

3 hours ago, ConservativeElector2 said:

Generally I'd the brightest legal minds should be nominated

 

3 hours ago, ConservativeElector2 said:

However, I had not thought Biden would recruit his people from the "cesspool of elitism"

I'm fairly confident that Ivy League minds would be bright. Even if that shouldn't be the main pool to draw from.

[jvikings1]

4 hours ago, vcczar said:

I'm definitely a critic of standardized tests, but I also know that Ivy Leagues don't make their decision on that test. It's just part of that evaluation, along with grades, references, extra-curricular accomplishments, statement of purpose, and interview. 

I'm also in agreement that students of abilities can be found outside of Ivy League, possibly because I see myself as having been worthy of Ivy League but did not go there myself. However, I think it's also obvious that one is likely to find more high-ability students per capita at an Ivy League school for obvious reasons. Although one needs to add schools like Stanford, Chicago, UT, and other schools that have risen to Ivy League standards in many of their departments. 

If I were appointing SC justices, I don't think their education would even be part of my equation. I'd only appoint justices that were federal justices already or were formerly federal justices. I'd then look exclusively at their record and behavior during their federal judicial career. Whether they went to Ivy League or Southern New Hampshire wouldn't matter. 

One thing that's interesting is that Biden did not go to an Ivy League school despite these appointments, while Trump, Obama, Clinton, and both Bushes did go. 

 

At the law school level, the Ivy League and T14 put a lot of significance in the LSAT. If you aren't upper 160s to 170s, don't waste the money applying. Once you are in the top group, that other stuff differentiations between them (grade being the most important followed by the rest).

It may be the smaller sample size that is skewing the data up until this point, but Biden's nominees are disproportionately from Ivy League/T14 schools.

[ConservativeElector2]

6 hours ago, Hestia said:

 

I'm fairly confident that Ivy League minds would be bright. 

Right, therefore I've written this sentence as well:

"My hope would be that there are the most capable people to be found." 😉 

[Timur]

56 minutes ago, Patine said:

The best people for the job, as I've often said, are the most balanced in the courtroom, with the least ideological or partisan bias possible, and a comprehensive but both versatile and true-sighted view of the U.S. Constitution. In other words, the ideological bias and partisan spoils and patronage appointments that have stained, corrupted, and shamed the institution and hurt it's true credibility for it's purpose need to end. Wouldn't you agree?

What do you think of Anthony Kennedy and Potter Stewart?