As of this writing, we are in day four of the government shutdown. Employees in all sorts of agencies are furloughed, may or may not get back pay when they return, and are not supposed to work from home. But deadlines don’t go away, so employees who need to file charges of discrimination, whistleblower complaints,...
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Fourth Circuit Chief Judge Retires
Chief Judge Karen Williamson of the Fourth Circuit announced last week that she will retire early on disability due to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Appointed by George H. W. Bush, Judge Williamson has been on the Court of Appeals for 17 years.
There are now five openings on the Fourth Circuit. Judge Andre M. Davis of the...
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DeMint Resignation Opens Way for Judicial Nominees
Senator Jim DeMint is leaving the Senate to head the Heritage Foundation, with the idea of pushing the conservative agenda. DeMint had been blocking action by the Senate on judicial nominations offered up by President Obama.
His departure paves the way for action on judicial vacancies. While it does not seem likely that he could...
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Female Judicial Candidates Are Scrutinized Differently
In a charming throwback to the Donna Reed days, the love life of prominent females is fair game for scrutiny. According to Justice Sotomayor, “during the nomination process she was asked for the names of everyone she ever dated.” She does not believe, nor do I, that men are subjected to similar memory tests. ...
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