“The Last Umpires? The News Media, the ABA and Other Independent Voices in the Federal Judicial Confirmation Process”

Can there really be “independent voices” in a judicial appointments process that is shot through with partisan considerations? If so, what is the role of such voices? Has this role changed over time? Are there any nonpartisan actors that ought to be given greater participation in the confirmation of federal judges?

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“Bench Press: The Collision of Media, Politics, Public Pressure and an Independent Judiciary”

October 17, 2005 – October 18, 2005

On October 17-18, 2005 in Washington, D.C., Syracuse University brought together over twenty leading voices from the academy, law, and the media to discuss the current status of judicial independence in the United States. “Bench Press: The Collision of Media, Politics, Public Pressure, and an Independent Judiciary,” provided a multifaceted examination of the topic, including a unique look at the media’s influence on the judiciary and politics at the state and federal level.

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