69 Law Deans Endorse Kagan
The deans of more than a third of the nation’s law schools have endorsed President Barack Obama’s nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan for a seat on the United States Supreme Court.
In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee that was dated last week and released by the White House today, the deans of 69 law schools said Kagan “excels along all relevant dimensions desired in a Supreme Court justice,” reports the Washington Post.
Among her qualifications cited by the letter are her writings on constitutional and administrative law and her “superb” work as the former dean of Harvard Law School. A willing listener who gave all views serious consideration, Kagan will employ the same unifying qualities to serve the nation and the U.S. constitution well, says the missive, which was authored by Dean Larry Kramer of Stanford Law School.
The deans of Harvard Law School and the University of Chicago Law School, where Kagan (and Obama) formerly taught also signed the letter. Among those who didn’t were the law deans of George Mason University and George Washington University.
An unidentified aide to the Republicans on the committee tells the newspaper there has been no equivalent letter from any law dean opposing Kagan’s nomination, but says such criticism often is made just before a nominee’s confirmation hearing. Kagan’s is scheduled to start on June 28.
