By Megan Breakenridge on Sep 28, 2020 at 9:18 amPresident Donald Trump announced his first two Supreme Court nominees in the East Room of the White House, and both in prime time on a weeknight. Many people commented on the vaguely game-show suspense the former host of “The Apprentice” brought to the process: the surprising lack of leaks about the pick, the hint that two finalists might appear for the announcement that went to then-Judge Neil Gorsuch in 2017, and the president again entering the room by himself before revealing then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh as his second pick in 2018.
Saturday’s announcement has been set for the Rose Garden at 5 p.m., obviously not prime time and on a weekend day when big news isn’t usually announced. But the president had to consider the timing of memorials for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose seat he is aiming to fill. Then there is the presidential debate on Tuesday, and the urgency of getting the ball rolling on the confirmation process with a goal of a Senate floor vote before Election Day.
When I arrive at the White House, the press office assures me the ceremony is still on for the Rose Garden, despite a threatening cloud cover and thick humidity. I think back to coming here for President Barack Obama’s 2016 Rose Garden ceremony to announce Merrick Garland for the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat. That was a beautifully sunny March day, but the weather couldn’t help Garland’s... Continue Reading
By Kalvis Golde on Jun 18, 2020 at 8:30 amWe will be live-blogging on Thursday, June 18, as the court releases opinions from the 2019 term. Jake Heller will join us to discuss Casetext’s approach to public access to legal knowledge and the legal community’s responsibility to advance justice. SCOTUSblog is sponsored by Casetext: Making litigation more efficient with A.I. and machine learning... Continue Reading
By Edith Roberts on Jun 18, 2020 at 7:00 amAmy Howe reports for this blog, in a post that first appeared at Howe on the Court, that “fter just under three years (and three Supreme Court terms) on the job, Noel Francisco announced today that he would step down as the solicitor general of the United States, effective July 3, 2020.” According to Jessica Gresko at AP, “t is common for people in the job to leave in the summer, when the Supreme Court takes a break, before a presidential election.” For The Washington Post (subscription required), Robert Barnes reports that “Francisco, 50, who was confirmed in September 2017, has defended some of the administration’s most controversial cases at the Supreme Court, most notably Trump’s ban on travelers from certain mostly Muslim... Continue Reading
By Amy Howe on Jun 17, 2020 at 4:13 pmAfter just under three years (and three Supreme Court terms) on the job, Noel Francisco announced today that he would step down as the solicitor general of the United States, effective July 3, 2020. In a letter to President Donald Trump, Francisco wrote that he planned “to return to the private sector and spend more time with” his family.
In a statement, Attorney General William Barr described Francisco as a “principled and persuasive advocate” who “has represented the United States superbly before the Supreme Court for the past three Terms.” Barr said that he is “grateful” for Francisco’s “tireless service to his country and the Department of Justice, and I wish him well in his future... Continue Reading
By Noah Sachs on Jun 17, 2020 at 2:36 pmIn one of the major environmental cases of the term, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 this week that the U.S. Forest Service could permit the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to cross underneath the Appalachian Trail in Virginia’s George Washington National Forest. The ruling in the consolidated cases U.S. Forest Service v. Cowpasture River Preservation Association and Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC v. Cowpasture River Preservation Association lifts one major obstacle to the 600-mile pipeline, which could carry as much as 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from West Virginia to buyers in North Carolina and Virginia. Despite Monday’s ruling, the $8 billion pipeline, a joint venture of Dominion Energy and Duke Energy, is still held up in court because the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit has vacated at least seven other permits for the... Continue Reading
