THE HOT BENCH WITH TONY MAURO
December 8, 2016
THE HOT BENCH
|For this week’s Hot Bench, SCOTUSDaily spoke with TONY MAURO of The National Law Journal. He’s been covering the Supreme Court for 36 years and he “still thinks it’s the best beat in town.” Mauro also said he hopes to see reforms at SCOTUS that would make the court more honest and open, believing it would benefit us all if our high court were more transparent to us. He noted, “I know some of my colleagues think that they shouldn’t have opinions about these things, about transparency issues. But I think it’s our professional duty to have strong opinions about access issues. If we don’t beat the drums, nobody is going to for us and for the public.” Catch our full interview now.
UP FOR GRABS
|Linda Greenhouse with The New York Times writes that under PRESIDENT TRUMP, the federal courts are up for grabs and deserve our serious attention. “The numbers are substantial, as is the new administration’s opportunity to shift the direction of the entire federal judiciary. The coming Supreme Court nomination may be mesmerizing, but it shouldn’t deflect attention from the full picture.”
SORRY DOESN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COVER IT
|Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit – the court once home to, and possibly home again to, JUDGE MERRICK GARLAND – shot down an appeal that aimed to get the Senate to hold a confirmation vote on Garland’s stalled nomination. Cristian Farias with The Huffington Post reports.
ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
|In an interview with POLITICO, SENATOR HARRY REID predicted the 60-vote filibuster threshold for Supreme Court nominees would come to an end, “it’s just a question of when.” Reid also said he supports people doing “everything in their power” to prevent “wacky” Supreme Court nominees and urged people not to become “complicit.”
LITTLE MIX
|Tony Mauro with The National Law Journal reports on who is in the mix to serve as U.S. Solicitor General noting, “Speculation ebbs and flows depending on other dynamics within TRUMP’S transition team and his nascent administration.”
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
|The U.S. Supreme Court set January 11 as the date it will hear Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District – the case considering what level of benefit special that school districts must confer on children with disabilities.
7TH INNING STRETCH
|Yesterday, the high court stretched out the schedule for filing written briefs in the new transgender case. Lyle Denniston for Constitution Daily reports the new timeline will give a Trump administration the time it needs to decide whether to get involved.
THE PRICE YOU PAY
|In The Washington Post, David Bernstein addresses the Supreme Court oral argument that he says cost Democrats the presidency.
CAN I GET AN 8-CLAP
|UCLA School of Law’s Supreme Court Clinic will have their work on full display next year when SCOTUS convenes for oral arguments. The Bruins are preparing briefs in two cases – one being a trademark dispute, and the other involving the right of exonerated criminal defendants to reclaim costs and penalties. The clinic director will also argue one of the cases before the justices. Go Bru!
OTHER NEWS
Trump's Pick for EPA Could 'Pull the Plug' on Obama Rules
The National Law Journal“E. Scott Pruitt, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, is a chief foe of the agency who could unravel two of the Obama administration’s signature regulations: the Clean Power Plan and the Waters of the United States rule.”