How a secret group of lawyers influences who sits on Michigan’s federal courts
By Sergio Martínez-Beltrán |
Federal judgeships have lifetime terms and enormous power. Judicial nominees are ultimately confirmed by the U.S. Senate, but being selected as a nominee can be a less than transparent process. (Shutterstock)
LANSING A secret group of lawyers and political donors has an outsized influence in determining appointments to federal courts in Michigan and some say that’s hurt the diversity of the bench.
Michigan has two vacancies in the federal courts, and a judicial advisory committee is tasked with screening applications for Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, both Democrats. They then recommend candidates to President Joe Biden, who nominates them for consideration before the U.S. Senate.
Will paper bar exams become a thing of the past?
Image from Shutterstock.com.
While there’s significant disagreement on how the bar exam should change, many believe it will, and there’s a wide range of ideas about what should happen.
So far, suggestions for change include breaking the test into smaller segments and administering part of it in law school; replacing essay questions with performance tests; and doing away with the licensing exam entirely.
The question of how the bar exam could improve was discussed before the COVID-19 pandemic, but safety concerns around in-person testing for what would normally have been a July administration drew more attention to the issue.