BarWrite® Blog

Justice Clarence Thomas Analyzes the Bar Examination

Jake Lybberty reports Justice Clarence Thomas's saying in My Grandfather's Son that "like every other black law student, I was uncomfortably aware that blacks failed to pass the bar exams at a much higher rate than whites . . . ." At first Justice Thomas assumed that racial discrimination must be to

Justice Roberts Presides Over More Civil Oral Arguments

When I was practicing law, I sat in on many arguments before the United States Supreme Court, argued several appellate cases as an advocate before federal courts of appeals, and served as a judge in many law school moot courts, from Harvard to George Washington.  What an enormous difference it must make to the lawyers before

Harvard Law Review Supreme Court Issue Available Online

With a tip of the hat to The Volokh Conspiracy, the Harvard Law Review's Supreme Court issue is out and available online in .pdf format. The issue is dedicated to the late Chief Justice Rehnquist and includes memorials by Chief Justice John G. Roberts,

President Bush Nominates Judge Samuel Alito of the Third Circuit to United States Supreme Court

In an item headed "Bush Nominates Alito to Supreme Court: Conservatives, Liberals Ready for Heated Debate," CNN reports that President Bush has chosen Judge Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court.

Harriet E. Meiers Withdraws Her Nomination for the Supreme Court

Harriet E. Miers, the White House counsel, this morning withdrew her nomination for the Supreme Court, and the President accepted, "reluctantly." The chief reasons asserted had to do with the resistance of the

Uhlmann Review of Supreme Court Term Now Available

Here is your link to Michael Uhlmann's review of the Supreme Court term. Read it for some interesting analysis.

The St. Petersburg Times Says If Harriet Miers Had Turned in Questionnaire as a Bar Exam, She Would Have Flunked

The name of the bar exam was taken today by The St. Petersburg Times, asserting in an editorial called "Miers' Omissions":

Had it been a bar examination that Harriet Miers turned in, she would have flunked. Aspiring lawyers get second chances, but until now no Supreme Court nominee has needed one. . . .

David Brooks Says Bad Writers Like Harriet Miers Need Not Apply for the Supreme Court

Does good legal writing matter? Consider the fact that New York Times columnist David Brooks says it's Harriet Miers's bad writing that disqualifies her for the Supreme Court:

Of all the words written about Harriet Miers, none are more disturbing than the ones she wrote herself. In the early 90's, while she was president of the Texas bar association, Miers wrote a column called "President's Opinion" for The Texas Bar Journal. It is the largest body of public writing we have from her, and sad to say, the quality of thought and writing doesn't even rise to the level of pedestrian.

President Bush Has Nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court

President Bush has nominated Harriet Miers to the seat of Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. The blogosphere has been highly critical of this nomination. For the basic story, visit

Where to Follow the Roberts Hearings

With a tip of the hat to Amy Welborn, good places to follow the Roberts hearings are the SCOTUS Blog, and for evaluation