{"id":54630,"date":"2016-09-30T11:27:00","date_gmt":"2016-09-30T16:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-legal\/supreme\/legal-commentary\/why-the-federal-courts-should-give-thanks-this-thanksgiving-a-set-of-positive-developments-with-the-hope-of-more-to-come.html"},"modified":"2016-09-30T11:27:00","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T16:27:00","slug":"why-the-federal-courts-should-give-thanks-this-thanksgiving-a-set-of-positive-developments-with-the-hope-of-more-to-come","status":"publish","type":"supreme","link":"https:\/\/supreme.findlaw.com\/legal-commentary\/why-the-federal-courts-should-give-thanks-this-thanksgiving-a-set-of-positive-developments-with-the-hope-of-more-to-come.html","title":{"rendered":"Why the Federal Courts Should Give Thanks This Thanksgiving: A Set of Positive Developments, with the Hope of More to Come"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n \n
\n
\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n
<\/a><\/td>\n

Why the Federal Courts Should Give Thanks This Thanksgiving: A Set of Positive Developments, with the Hope of More to Come<\/h1><\/td>\n <\/tr>\n

By CARL TOBIAS<\/h2><\/a><\/td>\n <\/tr>\n

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008<\/td>\n\n <\/tr>\n <\/table>\n \n

A number of significant developments are cause for the United States federal courts to give thanks on this Thanksgiving holiday. Perhaps most important are the expansion of Democratic Party majorities in the 111th U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President, because the federal judiciary appears to fare better by several metrics when Democrats control the other two branches. However, it seems premature to predict exactly how the new Congress and chief executive will address the federal courts, especially given the economic crisis that the nation presently confronts.<\/p>\n<\/span>\n

Democrats and Republicans have cooperated to help the federal courts in numerous areas during the 110th Congress. One prominent field is that of judicial selection. There are now 41 federal court openings, for which President George W. Bush nominated 26 candidates. The judiciary should be grateful that Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), his party&’s chair of the Judiciary Committee, and Democrats have worked closely with Republicans on approving judges, although even more jurists might have been confirmed, had President Bush fully cooperated with Democrats. <\/p>\n \n\n\n

\n