More on John Roberts

By BonnieBlueFlag

Judge John RobertsConfirmed 5/8/2003 to the Court of Appeals, District of Columbia CircuitThe Senate Judiciary voted Roberts out 16-3Born 1955, Buffalo, NYB.A., 1976, summa cum laude & J.D., 1979, magna cum laude, Harvard University1979-80, Clerk for Judge Friendly, Second Circuit1980-81, Clerk, Associate Justice Rehnquist, Supreme Court U.S. Department of Justice • 1981-81, Special Assistant to U.S. Attorney General William French Smith • 1989-93, Principal Deputy Solicitor General 1982-86, White House Counsel's Office, Associate Counsel to the President Hogan & Hartson, LLP, Washington, DC -- 1986-89, Associate -- 1993-2003, PartnerPresident George H.W. Bush nominated Mr. Roberts to the D.C. Circuit, but he was considered by some on the Senate Judiciary Committee to be too extreme in his views, and his nomination lapsed. He was nominated by President George W. Bush to the same seat in May 2001.As Deputy Solicitor General, Mr. Roberts co-wrote a Supreme Court brief in Rust v. Sullivan,1 for the first Bush administration, which argued that the government could prohibit doctors in federally-funded family planning programs from discussing abortions with their patients. The brief not only argued that the regulations were constitutional, notwithstanding the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, but it also made the broader argument that Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided - an argument unnecessary to defend the regulation. The Supreme Court sided with the government on the narrower grounds that the regulation was constitutional.As a student, Mr. Roberts wrote two law review articles arguing for an expansive reading of the Contracts and Takings clauses of the Constitution, taking positions that would restrict Congress' ability to protect the environment. As a member of the Solicitor General's office, Mr. Roberts was the lead counsel for the United States in the Supreme Court case Lujan v. National Wildlife Federation, in which the government argued that private citizens could not sue the federal government for violations of environmental regulations.The above information was taken from Independent Judiciary. Additional background and information is also available at this site.

Personally, I think it is a great nomination. Dear God, thank you for hearing our prayers.

Posted by BonnieBlueFlag to Ultima Thule at 7/19/2005