Judge Amy Coney Barrett: ‘An Exceptionally Impressive Jurist’

The American Bar Association Rated Judge Barrett ‘Well Qualified’ For Her Circuit Court Position

AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION on Amy Coney Barrett: “The ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary has completed its evaluation of the professional qualifications of Amy Coney Barrett, whom the President has nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. As you know, the Standing Committee confines its evaluation to the qualities of integrity, professional competence, and judicial temperament. A Majority of the Standing Committee was of the opinion that Ms. Barrett is Well Qualified … The Majority Rating represents the Committee's official rating.” (Nancy Scott Degan, Chair, American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 6/12/2017)

Senate Democrats: ‘The Bar Association Is The Gold Standard’

SENS. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY) & PAT LEAHY (D-VT): The ABA’s evaluation is “the gold standard by which judicial candidates are judged.” (The Washington Post, 3/18/2001)

SCHUMER: “The Bar Association is the gold standard…” (NBC’s “Meet The Press, 1/08/2006)

• SCHUMER: “…we have heard a lot about the ABA rating, which is something that is prized and important.” (U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Pg.652, 1/9-13/2006)

All Of Judge Barrett’s Former Fellow Supreme Court Clerks With ‘Diverse Points Of View On Politics [And] Judicial Philosophy’: ‘Professor Barrett Is A Woman Of Remarkable Intellect And Character,’ Is ‘Smart, Honorable, And Fair-Minded,’ ‘Treated With Courtesy Everyone Who Worked At The Court’ And Impressed With Her ‘Conscientious Work Ethic, Her Respect For The Law, And Her Remarkable Legal Abilities’

EVERY SUPREME COURT CLERK, INCLUDING JUSTICE GINSBURG’S CLERKS, FROM OCTOBER TERM 1998: “We are all lawyers who had the privilege of serving as law clerks for the Supreme Court of the United States, along with Professor Amy Coney Barrett, during the Supreme Court’s October Term 1998. After our clerkships, we have had a broad array of work experience from private practice to government service to academia to the business world. We are Democrats, Republicans, and independents, and we have diverse points of view on politics, judicial philosophy, and much else. Yet we all write to support the nomination of Professor Barrett to be a Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Professor Barrett is a woman of remarkable intellect and character. She is eminently qualified for the job. This view is unanimous – every law clerk* from October Term 1998 has joined this letter.” (34 Former Supreme Court Law Clerks, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/26/2017)

• “We worked closely with Professor Barrett during our year clerking at the Court. We had the opportunity to observe her approach to the law and her interactions with others during our intense and challenging joint endeavor supporting the work of the Court. Based on our observations, we came to respect Professor Barrett’s conscientious work ethic, her respect for the law, and her remarkable legal abilities. She conducted herself with professionalism, grace, and integrity. But perhaps as importantly, she treated with courtesy everyone who worked at the Court and she was able to work collaboratively with her colleagues (even those with whom she disagreed) on challenging legal questions. She is smart, honorable, and fair-minded; all good qualities for a Circuit Court Judge.” (34 Former Supreme Court Law Clerks, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/26/2017)

• “Since her clerkship, Professor Barrett has had a distinguished career. She went on to practice law at the prestigious law firm of Miller, Cassidy, Larroca, and Lewin and then later Baker Botts. She then left private practice for academia and a law professorship at the University of Notre Dame. Such a range of legal experience – from law clerk, to private practice, to academia – will serve Professor Barrett well in a new legal role as a member of the judiciary.” (34 Former Supreme Court Law Clerks, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/26/2017)

• “Professor Barrett is fully qualified for the position of Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Based on our experience clerking with her, we believe that Professor Barrett will make an excellent addition to the federal bench.” (34 Former Supreme Court Law Clerks, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/26/2017)

Every Full-Time Notre Dame Law School Faculty Member Previously Called Their Former Colleague, Judge Barrett: ‘A Brilliant Teacher And Scholar’ With An ‘Absolute Dedication To The Rule Of Law’ Who ‘Possesses In Abundance All Of The Other Qualities That Shape Extraordinary Jurists: Discipline, Intellect, Wisdom, Impeccable Temperament, And Above All, Fundamental Decency And Humanity’

EVERY FULL-TIME NOTRE DAME LAW SCHOOL FACULTY MEMBER: “Amy Coney Barrett will be an exceptional federal judge. As fellow faculty and colleagues at Notre Dame Law School, we have worked closely with Amy and consequently have a firm basis on which to base that judgment. As a scholarly community, we have a wide range of political views, as well as commitments to different approaches to judicial methodology and judicial craft. We are united, however, in our judgment about Amy. She is a brilliant teacher and scholar, and a warm and generous colleague. She possesses in abundance all of the other qualities that shape extraordinary jurists: discipline, intellect, wisdom, impeccable temperament, and above all, fundamental decency and humanity. Indeed, it is a testament to Amy’s fitness for this office that every full-time member of our faculty has signed this letter.” (49 Notre Dame Law School Faculty Members, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/11/2017)

“Amy’s unique ability to address hard problems in clear language is a quality that great judges possess. That ability is equally on display in her scholarship. Amy has long been an intellectual leader on our faculty. She is creative and insightful, but careful never to push an argument or a judicial opinion further than law and logic dictate. As a result, she has consistently produced excellent, important articles that are published in top law journals. Here too, she has only one agenda: to follow ideas where they lead. She works out the problem before her in a clear, reasoned, and principled way, without ideological or political preconceptions. An important characteristic of Amy’s scholarship is a lucid, elegant prose that will serve her equally well when she crafts judicial opinions. But the characteristic of her work that shines brightest is Amy’s absolute dedication to the rule of law. She considers it America’s foundational constitutional commitment to resolve legal disputes in a principled and consistent way. She will put that commitment into practice as a judge.” (49 Notre Dame Law School Faculty Members, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/11/2017)

“Amy is also a generous colleague. Indeed we are hard-pressed to imagine anyone who could be more congenial and constructive. She constantly gives her scarce time to discuss scholarly projects and classroom challenges. She spends many hours reading and commenting on colleagues’ articles. We can turn to her for prudent and constructive advice on any issue, large or small, assured of her unfailing support, time, and sage judgement.” (49 Notre Dame Law School Faculty Members, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/11/2017)

• “As a teacher, Amy is relentlessly effective and genuinely inspirational. She has extraordinary presence. She is quick and articulate. Her legal analysis is piercing, and she requires her students to think hard and well…. Our students seek out her classes and counsel. Her two Distinguished Professor of the Year awards are but a small reflection of our students’ esteem for how Amy conducts herself.” (49 Notre Dame Law School Faculty Members, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/11/2017)

‘We Disagree About Many Things’ But ‘We Unanimously Agree’ Judge Barrett Is ‘Devoted To The Fair And Impartial Administration Of The Rule Of Law’ Because She ‘Will Build Bridges And Strive To Achieve Consensus, Which Is The Surest Footing Of Law’

“As in any intellectual community, we disagree about many things…. Despite our differences, we unanimously agree that our constitutional system depends upon an independent judiciary staffed by talented people devoted to the fair and impartial administration of the rule of law. And we unanimously agree that Amy is such a person. It is our country’s great fortune that Amy Coney Barrett has stepped forward to serve, and we urge her expeditious confirmation to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.” (49 Notre Dame Law School Faculty Members, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/11/2017)

• “Amy’s presence is most valuable, however, when we disagree. You can be sure that she has keenly listened and fairly considered a position different from her own and responded in a helpful and constructive way. Such collegiality, wisdom, and sound judgement are critical qualities in any judge, but especially on a multi-member court like a court of appeals. As a judge, Amy will build bridges and strive to achieve consensus, which is the surest footing of law.” (49 Notre Dame Law School Faculty Members, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/11/2017)

Former Fellow Notre Dame Law School Professors: ‘She’s Mind-Blowingly Intelligent, And She’s Also One Of The Most Humble People You’re Going To Meet. Judge Barrett Is The Complete Package,’ ‘She Has Not Been A Political Activist,’ But Rather Is ‘An Intelligent, Thoughtful, Open-Minded Person’

STEPHEN YELDERMAN, Notre Dame Law Professor: “She’s mind-blowingly intelligent, and she’s also one of the most humble people you’re going to meet. Judge Barrett is the complete package.” (“Notre Dame Profs Push Back On Amy Coney Barrett Portrayals: Not Just ‘An Ideological Category,’” South Bend Tribune, 7/23/2020)

• PROFESSOR YELDERMAN: “Before I can get to my office, four people come up to me, one after another, and they’re like, ‘You’re the only person who hasn’t signed her letter.’ … All these signatures were collected in barely one day.” (“Notre Dame Profs Push Back On Amy Coney Barrett Portrayals: Not Just ‘An Ideological Category,’” South Bend Tribune, 7/23/2020)

• “The story, Yelderman says, illustrates Barrett’s reputation among her fellow academics.” (“Notre Dame Profs Push Back On Amy Coney Barrett Portrayals: Not Just ‘An Ideological Category,’” South Bend Tribune, 7/23/2020)

PAOLO CAROZZA, Notre Dame Law Professor: “[P]eople are reducing Amy to an ideological category instead of taking her for who she is: an intelligent, thoughtful, open-minded person.” (“Notre Dame Profs Push Back On Amy Coney Barrett Portrayals: Not Just ‘An Ideological Category,’” South Bend Tribune, 7/23/2020)

• PROFESSOR CAROZZA: “She has not been a political activist.” (“Notre Dame Profs Push Back On Amy Coney Barrett Portrayals: Not Just ‘An Ideological Category,’” South Bend Tribune, 7/23/2020)

Judge Barrett’s Former Law Students Agreed: ‘We Are United In Our Conviction That Professor Barrett Would Make An Exceptional Federal Judge,’ ‘Her Teaching Is Remarkable, Engaging, Challenging, And Unbiased,’ ‘I Don’t Think She Was One To Let Her Own Political Ideology Or Catholicism Tint Or Change The Way She Approached The Law’

“There’s little doubt about Barrett’s popularity among her Notre Dame colleagues and students, who have voted her three times as professor of the year. A 1997 graduate of the law school, Barrett was recruited back in 2002 to join the faculty. She has continued teaching since being confirmed to the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in 2017.” (“Notre Dame Profs Push Back On Amy Coney Barrett Portrayals: Not Just ‘An Ideological Category,’” South Bend Tribune, 7/23/2020)

470 NOTRE DAME LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES: “We are graduates of Notre Dame Law School and former students of Professor Amy Coney Barrett … We write to urge the United States Senate to confirm Professor Barrett. Our backgrounds and life experiences are varied and diverse. Our legal practices are as varied as the profession itself. Some of us engage in private practice, others in public-interest work, and still others in government service. A number of us served as law clerks to federal judges. Our religious, cultural, and political views span a wide spectrum. Despite the many and genuine differences among us, we are united in our conviction that Professor Barrett would make an exceptional federal judge. Our support is driven not by politics but by a belief that Professor Barrett is supremely qualified.” (470 Notre Dame Law School Graduates, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 6/05/2017)

470 NOTRE DAME LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES: “It is at Notre Dame Law School that we came to know—and love—Professor Barrett. In her fifteen years teaching at Notre Dame, Professor Barrett has shaped countless students both inside and outside of the classroom. Her teaching is remarkable, engaging, challenging, and unbiased. Her students universally recognize her brilliance as a legal thinker. In the classroom, Professor Barrett is demanding. Her students learn that lawyers have an unyielding obligation to think deeply and well about the law. And they see that Professor Barrett cares deeply about the rule of law as the foundation of our constitutional system. She has an unusual ability to instill that same love of the law in each of us.” (470 Notre Dame Law School Graduates, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 6/05/2017)

• “We are convinced that Professor Barrett will bring to the federal bench the same intelligence, fairness, decency, generosity, and hard work she has demonstrated at Notre Dame Law School. She will treat each litigant with respect and care, conscious of the reality that judicial decisions greatly affect the lives of those before the court. And she will apply the law faithfully and impartially. In short, we have no doubt that Professor Amy Barrett will be a wonderful addition to the federal judiciary.” (470 Notre Dame Law School Graduates, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 6/05/2017)

Judge Barrett’s Former Students: ‘In Our Experience, Professor Barrett Treats Every Person … With Equal Respect And Concern,’ She Has ‘A Brilliant Legal Mind’ And ‘Didn’t Try To Persuade Someone To The Correct Political Way To View This’

KRISTA COX, Former Notre Dame Law Student: “I don’t think she was one to let her own political ideology or Catholicism tint or change the way she approached the law…. My interactions with her in the classroom are just that she was a brilliant legal mind, but she didn’t try to persuade someone to the correct political way to view this.” (“Notre Dame Profs Push Back On Amy Coney Barrett Portrayals: Not Just ‘An Ideological Category,’” South Bend Tribune, 7/23/2020)

• “One of Barrett’s former students, Krista Cox, said she found Barrett to be ‘immensely fair’ when she attended law school about 15 years ago. Cox said she knows Barrett’s writings show the judge is an ‘originalist’ who believes in strictly adhering to the intent of the American founders who wrote the Constitution. But Cox said that ‘wasn’t how I viewed her’ in class.” (“Notre Dame Profs Push Back On Amy Coney Barrett Portrayals: Not Just ‘An Ideological Category,’” South Bend Tribune, 7/23/2020)

470 NOTRE DAME LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES: “Outside the classroom, Professor Barrett has served as a valuable and wise professional and personal mentor to students navigating law school and the professional world. She has inspired her students through her personal generosity and care. Her office door is always open, and her students often remark upon her acts of kindness, both large and small. In our experience, Professor Barrett treats every person—whether a student, staff member, or faculty member—with equal respect and concern.” (470 Notre Dame Law School Graduates, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 6/05/2017)

73 Law Professors From Across The Country, Including Former Obama Administration Solicitor General Neil Katyal Previously Stated: ‘Professor Barrett Is Exceptionally Well Qualified,’ ‘Is A Distinguished Scholar In Areas Of Law That Matter Most For Federal Courts, … Enjoys Wide Respect For Her Careful Work, Fair-Minded Disposition, And Personal Integrity’ And Whose ‘Work Demonstrates A Thorough Understanding Of The Issues And Challenges That Federal Courts Confront’

73 PROFESSORS OF LAW: “We are a diverse group of law professors who represent a broad range of fields and perspectives. We share the belief, however, that Professor Barrett is exceptionally well qualified to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals, and we urge the Senate to confirm her as a judge of that court.” (73 Law Professors, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/19/2017)

• “In short, Professor Barrett’s qualifications for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit are first-rate. She is a distinguished scholar in areas of law that matter most for federal courts, and she enjoys wide respect for her careful work, fair-minded disposition, and personal integrity.” (73 Law Professors, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/19/2017)

“As a law professor, Professor Barrett has distinguished herself as an expert in procedure, interpretation, federal courts, and constitutional law. She has published several important and influential law review articles on these topics in leading journals.” (73 Law Professors, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/19/2017)

• “Although we have differing perspectives on the methods and conclusions in her work, we all agree that Professor Barrett’s contributions to legal scholarship are rigorous, fair-minded, respectful, and constructive. Her work demonstrates a thorough understanding of the issues and challenges that federal courts confront in their daily work.” (73 Law Professors, Letter to Sens. Grassley and Feinstein, 5/19/2017)