Dec 092016
 

The grades I have assigned are very subjective, and can change. I have not spent time researching them. There is little difference between 9 and 10. Anyone from those grades would be fine. Eights are very good but have some questions. Sevens could be good but have some unknowns that make there pick not certain. Maybe Souter like. I have graded two tens, Pryor and Lee, the younger. Both would be tremendous, with no doubts.

Complete List With Our Highly Subjective Grades
Age Law School Clerked For Grade
Lee, Mike 45 Brigham Young Alito 10
Pryor 53 Tulane 10
Blackwell 41 Georgia Federalist 9
Hardiman 50 Notre Dame Federalist 9
Eid 51 Chicago 9
Lee, Thomas 51 Chicago Thomas 9
Ryan 52 Notre Dame Luttig & Thomas 9
Stras 42 Kansas Luttig & Thomas 8
Larson 48 Northwestern Scalia 8
Gruender 52 Wash St louis US Attorney 8
Colloton 53 Yale Rehnquist 8
Sykes 58 Marquette 8
Mansfield 59 Yale 8
Tymkovich 60 Colorado 8
Canady 62 Yale 8
Young 65 Harvard 8
Thapur 47 Berkely 7
Kethledge 49 Michigan Kennedy 7
Gorsuch 49 Harvard White & Kennedy 7
Willet 50 Duke 7
Moreno 62 Miami 7

 

Every Supreme Court Justice now is from Harvard and Yale. Trump is probably not
going to pick another one

Take Away Harvard and Yale
Age Law School Clerked For Grade
Lee, Mike 45 Brigham Young Alito 10
Pryor 53 Tulane 10
Blackwell 41 Georgia Federalist 9
Hardiman 50 Notre Dame Federalist 9
Eid 51 Chicago 9
Lee, Thomas 51 Chicago Thomas 9
Ryan 52 Notre Dame Luttig & Thomas 9
Stras 42 Kansas Luttig & Thomas 8
Larson 48 Northwestern Scalia 8
Gruender 52 Wash St louis US Attorney 8
Sykes 58 Marquette 8
Tymkovich 60 Colorado 8
Thapur 47 Berkely 7
Kethledge 49 Michigan Kennedy 7
Willet 50 Duke 7
Moreno 62 Miami 7

 

Supreme Court nominees are all about age for the last few decades. You pick them young to keep them on the Court for along time.

Eliminate any over 58.

Take Away All Over 58
Age Law School Clerked For Grade
Lee, Mike 45 Brigham Young Alito 10
Pryor 53 Tulane 10
Blackwell 41 Georgia Federalist 9
Hardiman 50 Notre Dame Federalist 9
Eid 51 Chicago 9
Lee, Thomas 51 Chicago Thomas 9
Ryan 52 Notre Dame Luttig & Thomas 9
Stras 42 Kansas Luttig & Thomas 8
Larson 48 Northwestern Scalia 8
Gruender 52 Wash St louis US Attorney 8
Thapur 47 Berkely 7
Kethledge 49 Michigan Kennedy 7
Willet 50 Duke 7

 

Eliminate all the remaining who have had personal trouble with Trump. We lose the Lee brothers here. This is a shame because they are great. Mike Lee did not endorse Trump and was a thorn in his side during the campaign. Thomas Rex Lee goes down by association. Don Willet leveled some personal attacks on Trump and that should eliminate him. Willet is a wiseacre and at times very funny, but that doesn’t get you to the dance.

 

Take Away All That Have Personal Problems With Trump
Age Law School Clerked For Grade
Pryor 53 Tulane 10
Blackwell 41 Georgia Federalist 9
Hardiman 50 Notre Dame Federalist 9
Eid 51 Chicago 9
Ryan 52 Notre Dame Luttig & Thomas 9
Stras 42 Kansas Luttig & Thomas 8
Larson 48 Northwestern Scalia 8
Gruender 52 Wash St louis US Attorney 8
Thapur 47 Berkely 7
Kethledge 49 Michigan Kennedy 7

 

Now eliminate the last two stealth candidates and you have the remaining list of very good candidates. Thapur and Kethledge seem to be unknowns. Either could be another Souter or even Kennedy. We do not need another Kennedy we need another Scalia. All of the remaining candidates are Scalia Like.

 

Take Away The Two Stealth Candidates
Age Law School Clerked For Grade
Pryor 53 Tulane 10
Blackwell 41 Georgia Federalist 9
Hardiman 50 Notre Dame Federalist 9
Eid 51 Chicago 9
Ryan 52 Notre Dame Luttig & Thomas 9
Stras 42 Kansas Luttig & Thomas 8
Larson 48 Northwestern Scalia 8
Gruender 52 Wash St louis US Attorney 8

 

Dec 022016
 

 

Trump’s 21 Supreme Court Picks

This is a subjective analysis of Trump’s picks.  The analysis is a work in progress and subject to change.

 

Judge Steve Colloton, 53, Clerk for Rehnquist,worked for Ken Starr ,Yale

Judge Raymond Gruender, 52, fierce abortion foe Washington St. Louis Law, U.S. Attorney

Judge Thomas Hardiman, 50, Federalist Society, Notre Dame Law, sits on same court as Trumps sister.

Judge Raymond Kethledge, 49, Clerk for Kennedy and counsel to Spencer Abraham, Michigan Law

Judge William Pryor, 53, Tulane Law, Protégé of proposed Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Judge Diane Sykes, 58, ex-husband strident anti Trump conservative, already floated by Trump, Marquette Law

U.S. Senator Mike Lee,45, Utah, clerk for Alito, Never endorsed Trump, great pick but.

Judge Charles Canady,62, 4 term member of House of Representatives, Yale

Judge Timothy Tymkovich,60,, wrote majority on Hobby Lobby, Colorado Law

Judge Robert Young, 65, African American, luke warm on some social issues but originalist, Harvard

Judge Amul Thapar,47,   Indian ancestory, Cal Law

Judge Keith Blackwell,41, Georgia Law, District Attorney, belongs to Federalist Society

Judge Edward Mansfield , 59, Iowa Supreme court nominated after conservative revolt over gay marriage, Yale,

Judge Margaret Ryan, 52, Notre Dame Law, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, Clarence Thomas clerk, Marine, JAG clerked for Ted Cruz’s favorite judge J. Michael Luttig and Clarence Thomas

Judge Federico Moreno,64, Miami Law

Judge Allison Eid 51, Colorado Governor Bill Owens appointment, clerked for Clarence Thomas Chicago Law

Judge Joan Larson,48, clerked for Scalia, Northwestern,

Judge Thomas Rex Lee,51, brother of Senator Mike Lee also on list, Chicago Law clerked for Justice Thomas

Judge David Stras,42, Kansas Law, clerked for Thomas and Luttig, jewish Clerked for two great judges but thin on conservative views or decisions

Judge Don Willett,50, frequent mocker of Trump, Bush advisor Duke Law

Judge Neil Gorsuch, 49, Harvard, clerked for Byron White and Kennedy lecture at Federalist on overcriminalization very smart but somewhat of an unknown