On Wednesday, March 16, President Obama nominated Merrick B. Garland to the United States Supreme Court seat left vacant by Justice Antonin Scalia’s death last month.
Below is a round-up of some of the better news articles on Garland and what is expected to be a contentious confirmation process.
Why Obama Nominated Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court
Sarah Almukhtar | New York Times
In the face of Republican opposition to a Supreme Court nomination, President Obama needed a candidate who had support from Republicans in the past but who would still move the court in a progressive direction.
Standoff Over Garland Rings Familiar
Jacob Gershman | Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog
For Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland, the political standoff in Washington may feel a little familiar.
Merrick Garland Is The Oldest Supreme Court Nominee Since Nixon Was President
Oliver Roeder | FiveThirtyEight
Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, is 63 years old. And even for such a venerable institution, one where the justices are allowed to wear robes at work, that’s pretty old. Garland is the oldest nominee since Richard Nixon tapped Lewis F. Powell Jr., in 1971. Powell was 64 when he was nominated. Were the Senate to confirm him, Garland would be tied for the sixth-oldest new Supreme Court justice. If Garland isn’t confirmed, he’ll go down as tied for the eighth-oldest nominee.
Merrick Garland’s Instinct for the Middle Could Put Him in the Court’s Most Influential Spot
Robert Barnes | Washington Post
Merrick Garland has the opportunity to become not only the newest member of the Supreme Court but also its most influential, taking a spot at the court’s center now reserved for Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.
Obama’s Pick Would Help the Court. (Liberal Causes, Not So Much.)
Cass R. Sunstein | Bloomberg View
In the current era, it’s probably impossible to find a nonpartisan choice for the Supreme Court. But if you did a national search for one, hoping to find a judge’s judge, known above all for caution and humility, there’s a good chance that you’d settle on Merrick Garland. (Disclosure: I have known Garland for many years, and we are friendly acquaintances.)
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