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2nd ZagAlito Survey: Chat With More Alito Law Clerks

We've just been joined by three former law clerks of Judge Alito's - David Moore, Jeff Wasserstein, and Keith Levenberg.  Yesterday, we had conversation with another three clerks, the Zagat-style synopsis of which is available here.

The former clerks mentioned that every Alito clerk that was permitted to do so, from across the political spectrum, unanimously endorsed Alito in a letter to the Judiciary Committee.

(Paraphrased, except as noted.)

- David Moore, who clerked for Alito during Bush v. Gore, noted that politics is not something the Judge "brings to chambers".  Dave judges the judge's responses thus far to have been "incredibly forthright" and "demonstrated how bright he is", despite certain Senators who are simply "playing to their constituents".  Given the complaints among Democrats that the nominee is not providing sufficient new information, David responds, "If you want answers, you have to ask questions, not spend half your time giving speeches."

- Jeff, who clerked during the Lewinsky scandal, remembers facing a near "Constitutional crisis" at the time, one which the clerks frequently bantered about, but as it was "outside the judiciary", never heard discussion of the matter from Judge Alito.  A self-described "liberal democrat with a Kerry bumper sticker", Jeff noted that he and other clerks with liberal leanings never saw conservative ideology, as is being claimed by Alito's opposition.  "Some of the groups have disappointed" Jeff, who gauges the unfolding of the process to be "politics as usual".

- Keith Levenberg, who clerked during the run-up to the Iraq war, observed Alito found it inappropriate to "bring politics through the doorway" into the courthouse.  As to whether it is a hindrance that Alito lacks private practice experience, Keith noted that his own practice area of securities law is "not the most challenging area", but that jurisprudentially and in particular at the appellate level, "these cases are about judicial issues", for which experience reading countless corporate e-mails is largely irrelevant.  Keith says Alito also brings "a certain expertise in legal issues" regarding liberty and terrorism and gives credit to the President for choosing "the most qualified candidate in this area, not the most predictable one".

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2nd ZagAlito Survey: Chat With More Alito Law Clerks

We've just been joined by three former law clerks of Judge Alito's - David Moore, Jeff Wasserstein, and Keith Levenberg.  Yesterday, we had conversation with another three clerks, the Zagat-style synopsis of which is available here.

The former clerks mentioned that every Alito clerk that was permitted to do so, from across the political spectrum, unanimously endorsed Alito in a letter to the Judiciary Committee.

(Paraphrased, except as noted.)

- David Moore, who clerked for Alito during Bush v. Gore, noted that politics is not something the Judge "brings to chambers".  Dave judges the judge's responses thus far to have been "incredibly forthright" and "demonstrated how bright he is", despite certain Senators who are simply "playing to their constituents".  Given the complaints among Democrats that the nominee is not providing sufficient new information, David responds, "If you want answers, you have to ask questions, not spend half your time giving speeches."

- Jeff, who clerked during the Lewinsky scandal, remembers facing a near "Constitutional crisis" at the time, one which the clerks frequently bantered about, but as it was "outside the judiciary", never heard discussion of the matter from Judge Alito.  A self-described "liberal democrat with a Kerry bumper sticker", Jeff noted that he and other clerks with liberal leanings never saw conservative ideology, as is being claimed by Alito's opposition.  "Some of the groups have disappointed" Jeff, who gauges the unfolding of the process to be "politics as usual".

- Keith Levenberg, who clerked during the run-up to the Iraq war, observed Alito found it inappropriate to "bring politics through the doorway" into the courthouse.  As to whether it is a hindrance that Alito lacks private practice experience, Keith noted that his own practice area of securities law is "not the most challenging area", but that jurisprudentially and in particular at the appellate level, "these cases are about judicial issues", for which experience reading countless corporate e-mails is largely irrelevant.  Keith says Alito also brings "a certain expertise in legal issues" regarding liberty and terrorism and gives credit to the President for choosing "the most qualified candidate in this area, not the most predictable one".