Michigan’s Kethledge passed over by Trump for Supreme Court
Kethledge, 51, of
While it was not instantly clear why Kethledge didn't get the nod, especially after reports last week that the
Some days ago, the far-right website Breitbart put out an article saying Kethledge was "at odds with the conservative wing of the
Still, with Trump keeping the nomination under wraps and Senate Majority Leader
With Kethledge, Trump would have gotten a conservative jurist known for incisive legal commentary and weeding out bureaucratic overreach in his opinions.
In a piece in the
"How will the judge do under the heat of the lights and the often absurd questions and histrionics of the (confirmation) hearings?" Hewitt wrote. "We won't know until they get there, but those who know Kethledge assure me it would be a replay of Gorsuch's commanding performance: knowledge mixed with grace and humor. In other words, a nightmare for the
Kethledge clerked for Kennedy, worked for
If he had been selected and confirmed, Kethledge -- who clerked for Kennedy, worked for
Kethledge is a graduate of the
Kethledge and Wolfe were both between semesters at law school in 1991 -- Kethledge at U-M and Wolfe at
Even then, it was clear Kethledge was going places, Wolfe said.
"You knew he was going to be a very good lawyer. The research and his writing ability were really terrific."
At U-M, Kethledge's class description spells out exactly what students should expect for the three-credit class.
"We will spend a great deal of time discussing the fine points of effective writing, e.g., the rules set forth on pages 1-33 of 'The Elements of Style,' " the description for the winter 2018 class says. "Students who become bored with this sort of thing should probably not take this class."
Those who've taken the class say Kethledge is hands-on with his students.
"He really focuses on improving students' writing," said
In
"I was looking for interns and his résumé just showed up. He was top of his class -- this was when he was at Wayne -- and I called him in and interviewed him. He impressed me right away, " Rosen said. "I remembered thinking, 'This is far beyond anything you would expect from a first-year law school student.' "
Kethledge is known as an originalist, relying on the text of the law and the intent of its authors. And, if nothing else, his coming so close to a nomination could help to raise the profile of a judge who talks up his
Kethledge's opinions show humor while challenging institutions. He is also quick to see and point out what he sees as bureaucratic inconsistency and hypocrisy.
For instance, when he wrote an opinion rejecting an
Kethledge had taken controversial stances, too: In one case in 2010, he dissented from the majority by saying a defendant should have been allowed under
In the immigration case cited by Breitbart, he ruled that an immigrant had standing to challenge the government's refusal to issue him an employment visa, saying that while the government argued that the purpose of the relevant law was to protect
Kethledge 'a possible compromise'
For much of the last week, Kethledge -- who recently wrote a book, "Lead Yourself First," with combat veteran
Kavanaugh, a judge on the
As for Barrett, who was confirmed to the
Regardless of who was selected, political jockeying on the nomination is likely to begin immediately, with
But
Born in
After law school, he clerked for Judge
Contact
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