A Look at Trump's Supreme Court Picks
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — May 18, 2016.
Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has released a list of 11 potential Supreme Court justices from which he would draw a nominee to fill the seat of late Justice Antonin Scalia.
The news comes as Trump works to bring together a fractured Republican Party and earn the trust of still-skeptical establishment Republicans who question his electability.
The campaign's statement emphasized that the list was compiled "first and foremost, based on constitutional principles, with input from highly respected conservatives and Republican Party leadership." They still must pass muster with the conservatives who propelled Trump to the brink of the GOP presidential nomination.
Here's a look at the bench of people Trump would consider nominating:
STEVEN COLLOTON, Iowa
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was appointed by Republican President George W. Bush in 2003. Educated at Princeton and Yale universities, Colloton is a former federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Iowa and clerked for former Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
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ALLISON EID, Colorado
The associate justice of the Colorado Supreme Court has served in the seat since 2006, when she was appointed by former Republican Gov. Bill Owens and retained by the voters in 2011. Educated at the University of Chicago, Eid is a former state solicitor general and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
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RAYMOND GRUENDER, Missouri
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was appointed by Bush in 2004. He is a former federal prosecutor and received his law degree and a master's degree in business from Washington University of St. Louis.
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THOMAS HARDIMAN, Pennsylvania
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was appointed by Bush and confirmed to that seat in 2007. Bush also appointed him U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania in 2003. He was schooled at the University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University.
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RAYMOND KETHLEDGE, Michigan
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was first nominated by Bush in 2006, but due to a backup of judicial nominations in the Senate, was not confirmed until 2008. He worked as a counsel to former Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-Mich., and clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy. He received a law degree from the University of Michigan.
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JOAN LARSEN, Michigan
The associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court was a law professor when she was appointed last year by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. She received her law degree from Northwestern University. Earlier in her career, she was assistant attorney general in the Justice Department and clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia. After Scalia's death, she wrote that Scalia's passing "leaves a giant void in the court and in the intellectual discourse over the law. It is difficult to imagine anyone filling the gap."
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THOMAS LEE, Utah
The associate justice of the Utah Supreme Court was appointed by Republican Gov. Gary Herbert in 2010. He is the brother of U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a staunch ally of former GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz. He's also the son of Rex Lee, a former U.S. solicitor general in President Ronald Reagan's administration. Lee never served as a judge before Herbert picked him for Utah's high court. He worked in private practice, and was a deputy assistant attorney general under Bush and clerked for Thomas. He earned his law degree at the University of Chicago.
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WILLIAM PRYOR, Jr. Alabama
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was appointed by Bush and confirmed in 2004. He also is a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. His a former state attorney general and law professor and earned his law degree at Tulane University.
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DAVID STRAS, Minnesota
The associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court was elected to a six-year term in 2012. He received his law degree and master's degree in business from the University of Kansas, and clerked for Thomas.
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DIANE SYKES, Wisconsin
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was appointed to the post in 2003 by Bush and confirmed the following year. She is a former state supreme court judge and received her law degree from Marquette University.
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DON WILLETT, Texas
The Texas Supreme Court justice was appointed in 2005 by then-Gov. Rick Perry, who was one of Trump's many early challengers for the GOP presidential nomination, and was twice re-elected. He's a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department and received his law and master's degrees from Duke University.
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — May 18, 2016.
Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has released a list of 11 potential Supreme Court justices from which he would draw a nominee to fill the seat of late Justice Antonin Scalia.
The news comes as Trump works to bring together a fractured Republican Party and earn the trust of still-skeptical establishment Republicans who question his electability.
The campaign's statement emphasized that the list was compiled "first and foremost, based on constitutional principles, with input from highly respected conservatives and Republican Party leadership." They still must pass muster with the conservatives who propelled Trump to the brink of the GOP presidential nomination.
Here's a look at the bench of people Trump would consider nominating:
STEVEN COLLOTON, Iowa
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was appointed by Republican President George W. Bush in 2003. Educated at Princeton and Yale universities, Colloton is a former federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Iowa and clerked for former Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
———
ALLISON EID, Colorado
The associate justice of the Colorado Supreme Court has served in the seat since 2006, when she was appointed by former Republican Gov. Bill Owens and retained by the voters in 2011. Educated at the University of Chicago, Eid is a former state solicitor general and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
———
RAYMOND GRUENDER, Missouri
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was appointed by Bush in 2004. He is a former federal prosecutor and received his law degree and a master's degree in business from Washington University of St. Louis.
———
THOMAS HARDIMAN, Pennsylvania
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was appointed by Bush and confirmed to that seat in 2007. Bush also appointed him U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania in 2003. He was schooled at the University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University.
———
RAYMOND KETHLEDGE, Michigan
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was first nominated by Bush in 2006, but due to a backup of judicial nominations in the Senate, was not confirmed until 2008. He worked as a counsel to former Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-Mich., and clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy. He received a law degree from the University of Michigan.
———
JOAN LARSEN, Michigan
The associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court was a law professor when she was appointed last year by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. She received her law degree from Northwestern University. Earlier in her career, she was assistant attorney general in the Justice Department and clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia. After Scalia's death, she wrote that Scalia's passing "leaves a giant void in the court and in the intellectual discourse over the law. It is difficult to imagine anyone filling the gap."
———
THOMAS LEE, Utah
The associate justice of the Utah Supreme Court was appointed by Republican Gov. Gary Herbert in 2010. He is the brother of U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a staunch ally of former GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz. He's also the son of Rex Lee, a former U.S. solicitor general in President Ronald Reagan's administration. Lee never served as a judge before Herbert picked him for Utah's high court. He worked in private practice, and was a deputy assistant attorney general under Bush and clerked for Thomas. He earned his law degree at the University of Chicago.
———
WILLIAM PRYOR, Jr. Alabama
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was appointed by Bush and confirmed in 2004. He also is a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. His a former state attorney general and law professor and earned his law degree at Tulane University.
———
DAVID STRAS, Minnesota
The associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court was elected to a six-year term in 2012. He received his law degree and master's degree in business from the University of Kansas, and clerked for Thomas.
———
DIANE SYKES, Wisconsin
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge was appointed to the post in 2003 by Bush and confirmed the following year. She is a former state supreme court judge and received her law degree from Marquette University.
———
DON WILLETT, Texas
The Texas Supreme Court justice was appointed in 2005 by then-Gov. Rick Perry, who was one of Trump's many early challengers for the GOP presidential nomination, and was twice re-elected. He's a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department and received his law and master's degrees from Duke University.
