You were at both of my confirmation hearings and and and yes, so
thumbs up to you, Senator Grassley and other members. It's an honor
and privilege to appear before this committee. Thank you for the
invitation Chair, Durban.
I'm a retired federal judge, as you said, and chair of the American
Bar Association Standing Committee on the federal judiciary Today,
I'm joined by our two principal evaluators, Jean Vita.
D C circuit representative and Joe Drayton.
The federal Circuit representative.
Art vice chair, David Brown deeply regrets that he is unable to attend,
particularly since he was the principal evaluator of Judge Jackson's
DC Circuit nomination.
For almost 70 years the Standing committee has been asked to present
to this committee are peer reviewed, independent, nonpartisan, comprehensive
ratings on the professional qualifications of lifetime appointed
federal judges.
The Standing Committee is made up of outstanding lawyers from every
circuit with varied backgrounds, professional experiences and practicing
in law firms with 6 to 2000 lawyers.
We don't give suggestions on who should be nominated, Don't recommend
or endorse any nominee.
We don't base our ratings on or express any view of the nominees,
philosophy, political affiliation or ideology. Nonpartisan Peer review
evaluations are the hallmark of the Standing Committee.
We began our work on February 25th the day Judge Jackson was nominated
on eight March, 18th. The Standing Committee voted unanimously, The
judge Jackson earned our highest rating well qualified for an appointment
to the Supreme Court. Why
Quite frankly, well qualified.
Was a rating. We were compelled to reach after our exhaustive comprehensive
peer review to get that well qualified rating of Supreme Court nominee
must be a prompt, preeminent member of the legal profession.
Have outstanding legal ability, have exceptional breath of experience
and meet the very highest standards of integrity, professional competence
and judicial temperament.
Everyone we talked to interviewed or had substantive contact with
uniformly gave the highest praise. Brilliant beyond reproach. First
rate patient insightful, impeccable, A plus.
We contacted more than 2800 judges and lawyers, including federal
judges from 50 States, 13 Circuits 94 districts, as well as state
Supreme Court justices, law school deans and bar associations.
We focused our confidential interviews on those who had first hand
knowledge of her legal abilities. We spoke to federal prosecutors,
defense counsel civil lawyers who appeared before Judge Jackson,
her judicial colleagues and judges and lawyers that were very familiar
with her career before she became a judge.
We created three reading groups to examine over 240 of her published
opinions and other writings because the principal way Supreme Court
justices communicate
Is by writing opinions, opinions that touch the lives of people throughout
this nation for years to come.
Two academic reading groups from the University of Illinois in Stanford,
co chaired by each school's dean. Working independently 37 academic
experts in 18 member practitioners reading Group View the same writings,
the majority
Former law clerks, two Supreme Court justices justices appointed
by both political parties. Most have regularly argued before the
Supreme Court. Their words strikingly talented, evenhanded, exceptional,
thorough, respectful.
Finally we went beyond what Judge Jackson does in the courthouse.
We looked at the other contribution she's made on the governing Council
of the American Law Institute, the United States Sentencing Commission,
a bipartisan commission.
Chief Justices Roberts appointment to the judicial conferences, Defenders
Services Committee, representatives from every organization said
again and again, humble
Brilliant consensus builder. The question we kept asking ourselves.
How does one human being do so much?
So extraordinarily well.
Reflecting the combined views of more than 250 judges, attorneys
and academics. The Standing Committee concluded that Judge Jackson
is well qualified to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme
Court.
I now turn the Gene Vita for more specifics on the findings from
judges and lawyers and then Joseph Drayton with comments on the reading