The president is taking his constitutional responsibilities seriously when appointing a new Justice to the Supreme Court. He said that the candidate he nominates will be “eminently qualified” and understand that the law should be interpreted and not made.
In a post on SCOTUSblog he wrote “He or she will have an independent mind, rigorous intellect, impeccable credentials, and a record of excellence and integrity. I’m looking for a mastery of the law, with an ability to hone in on the key issues before the Court, and provide clear answers to complex legal questions,”
He went on to say that “judges who approach decisions without any particular ideology or agenda, but rather a commitment to impartial justice, a respect for precedent, and a determination to faithfully apply the law to the facts at hand.”
He added that the nominee would have a “keen understanding that justice is not about abstract legal theory, nor some footnote in a dusty casebook.”
“It’s the kind of life experience earned outside the classroom and the courtroom; experience that suggests he or she views the law not only as an intellectual exercise, but also grasps the way it affects the daily reality of people’s lives in a big, complicated democracy, and in rapidly changing times, That, I believe, is an essential element for arriving at just decisions and fair outcomes.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee said that they will not hear any nominee that The President’s puts forward. They prefer to wait until the next president is elected in January.