Obama’s SCOTUS Nominee Gives Unscheduled Speech At Lawyer Confab

Judge Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama's choice to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, speaks at an awards breakfast for pro bono counsel at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in Was... Judge Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama's choice to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, speaks at an awards breakfast for pro bono counsel at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in Washington, Thursday, April 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) MORE LESS
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An appeals court judge giving a ho-hum speech at a lawyers’ conference would not normally be a headline-making affair. But when that judge is an embattled Supreme Court nominee facing an unprecedented Senate blockade and is the subject of major White House PR campaign, such a speech becomes a little more notable.

Merrick Garland delivered unscheduled remarks at an annual conference of lawyers and judges Thursday morning, Politico reported. His speech contained nothing out of the ordinary for such an event, Politico noted, but could be interpreted as the White House’s next step in keeping Republicans’ refusal to consider his nomination front and center. A White House camera crew was also in attendance, Politico said.

The speech — given in the atrium of a federal courthouse near the Capitol to about 100 lawyers and judges — was about five minutes long, according to Politico.

The event was a breakfast in honor of the pro bono work done by Washington law firms. Garland said, “Their and your commitment to public service and the law is the same commitment that has shaped the choices that I have made throughout my career.”

“Without legal assistance, poor individuals and families have no real access to justice. Without access to justice, the promise of equal justice rings hollow. Without equal justice under law, faith in the rule of law the foundation of our civil society is at risk,” he also said.

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  1. See–too impetuous, too unscheduled. No hearings today, no hearings tomorrow, no hearings forever!

  2. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    Moreover, he’s talking about the poor and equal justice.

    Well, if money is speech, then the more money you have…the more speech you have.

    So it should be with justice as well.

  3. our civil society is at risk

    Thank you, Mitch!

  4. Avatar for pine pine says:

    "The event was a breakfast in honor of the pro bono work done by
    Washington law firms. Garland said, “Their and your commitment to public
    service and the law is the same commitment that has shaped the choices
    that I have made throughout my career.”

    “Without legal assistance, poor individuals and families have no real
    access to justice. Without access to justice, the promise of equal
    justice rings hollow. Without equal justice under law, faith in the rule
    of law the foundation of our civil society is at risk,” he also said."

    The Judge said quite a bit in that short time frame,IMO. And got right to the point.

  5. After meeting with Garland, Senator Al Franken said you wish you could have 9 Merrick Garlands on the supreme court. That is really a compliment. Again, another brilliant choice by my beloved President

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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