The Northeast Ohio Chapter and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Student Chapter of the American Constitution Society, Alliance for Justice, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Ohio Coalition for Constitutional Values, People for the American Way, and The National Council of Jewish Women, Cleveland Section presented:
Crisis in the Courts
Featuring:
- Jonathan Adler, Johan Verheij Memorial Professor of Law, Director, Center for Business Law and Regulation, Case Western Reserve University School of Law
- Marge Baker, Executive Vice President, People for the American Way
- The Honorable James Gwin, Judge, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- Christopher Kang, Senior Counsel to the President of the United States (appearing via Skype)
- Jeremy Paris, Chief Counsel for Nominations and Oversight for Chairman Patrick Leahy, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
- Michael Zubrensky, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy, U.S. Department of Justice
Moderated by:
- Daniel Moulthrop, The Civic Commons
The panel discussed the problem of unfilled vacancies in the federal courts, in light of a major White House effort to fill vacancies initiated earlier this month. Panelists of national prominence, exceptional professional experience, and divergent viewpoints discussed the current vacancy rate and the ongoing political struggle to fill those that remain. Panelists also adressed the real-world impacts of judicial vacancies and the state of litigation and process in the federal courts. Finally, the panelists debated the path forward to improving the process and discussed the likelihood of further confirmations during the remainder of the present Administration's term.