Justice Joan Larsen: A Strong Addition To The Sixth Circuit
‘President Trump continues to nominate smart, well-qualified, and impartial individuals to our nation’s federal courts. Justice Larsen, like each of the other nominees before her, was nominated on the basis of her belief in the rule of law and her commitment to apply the law fairly to everyone who enters her courtroom.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the president’s nominee for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Larsen:
“Yesterday, when the Senate confirmed the nomination of Professor Amy Barrett to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, we took another important step to ensure that the federal judiciary fulfills its role in our constitutional system. Now, we have the opportunity to confirm another well-qualified woman to the federal bench, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Larsen. President Trump nominated her to serve on the Sixth Circuit, and she will be a strong addition to that court and a benefit to our nation.
“After graduating first in her class from Northwestern’s law school, Justice Larsen served as a law clerk for Judge David Sentelle of the D.C. Circuit Court and then for Justice Antonin Scalia. These clerkships honed Justice Larsen’s legal abilities and respect for the rule of law, preparing her for a distinguished career. Justice Larsen also served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. Former government officials – from both Republican and Democratic administrations – wrote in strong support of Justice Larsen’s nomination, each of them holding her ‘in the highest regard.’
“Justice Larsen later joined the law faculty at the University of Michigan, teaching there for many years. She excelled in academia, earning the praise of her students and the esteem of her colleagues. In fact, more than 30 of Michigan’s deans and law professors wrote to support her nomination. They wrote that Justice Larsen’s, ‘commitment to the rule of law and her capacity for top-flight legal analysis are both of the first order, and her personal integrity and decency are exceptional.’ Even when they disagreed, her colleagues praised Justice Larsen’s generous manner, her personal integrity, and her legal acumen.
“In 2015, Justice Larsen was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court. The next year, she won election to a full term, winning every single county in the state. Her fellow justices – even those with different ideologies – praised her intellect and her commitment to apply the law as it’s written to every case before them. Justice Larsen’s time on the Michigan high court has shown a record of independence and fairness. Here’s how one practitioner put it in a letter to the Judiciary Committee, ‘I am not a Republican,’ he wrote, ‘Justice Larsen approaches cases with an open mind and an independence from party affiliation … I believe that … Justice Larsen has had a very positive influence on the Michigan Supreme Court. In my view, she would be a deserving addition to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.’
“Another lawyer wrote the committee, advising that he ‘has practiced law in Michigan for 39 years,’ and is ‘a past president of the Michigan Association for Justice (formerly the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association).’ He goes on to say that Justice Larsen ‘has demonstrated on the bench that she is precisely who she is in person, a genuine, thoughtful individual who respects precedent, the common law and the role that lawyers and judges play in society . . . . I have no hesitation in telling you that Justice Larsen will make an excellent judge on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.’
“In conclusion, President Trump continues to nominate smart, well-qualified, and impartial individuals to our nation’s federal courts. Justice Larsen, like each of the other nominees before her, was nominated on the basis of her belief in the rule of law and her commitment to apply the law fairly to everyone who enters her courtroom. Once again, I would also like to thank Chairman Grassley for his leadership of the Judiciary Committee, tirelessly working to bring the president’s nominees to the floor. I look forward to voting to confirm Justice Larsen today, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me.”
Related Issues: Judicial Nominations, Nominations
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