SCOTUS

Merrick Garland: Your SCOTUS Nominee

We have a nominee!

By Kathryn Rubino on March 16, 2016 10:14 am

Update: Check out the liveblog at the bottom of this post for all the all the reactions and news from the Above the Law editorial staff.

We have a nominee!

At least that is what CNN, MSNBC, and a whole host of other sources are reporting.

https://twitter.com/CNNWire/status/710104721030291460

Of course, the official nomination will come at 11:00 a.m. The announcement was accompanied by an official Twitter account, @SCOTUSnom, where you can get all your updates and information about the process.

Judge Garland is 63 and ten years older than the average Supreme Court nominee, which was thought to functionally disqualify him from serious consideration (ATL only gave him 30-1 odds of being the nominee). But his qualifications are above reproach, and that was apparently enough for President Obama.

Garland is a Harvard Law man (yup, another SCOTUS justice with that degree). He was confirmed to the D.C. Circuit in 1997 by a 76-23 vote. Considered a moderate judge, in a non-politically charged atmosphere he might be considered the GOP’s dream candidate. He was on the shortlist each of the other times that Obama had to make a Supreme Court nomination, and it appears the third time is, indeed, a charm.

During his prior D.C. Circuit confirmation, he was not considered a slam dunk. In fact, Chuck Grassley has voted against him before.

Check out our liveblog below:

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