Job opening? Sort of - an opportunity to take an exam for Administrative Law Judge

Want to be an ALJ (Administrative Law Judge)? Sure, we all do. (If you are lost on the TV reference to the early 90's, I apologize).

Anyway, if you're a licensed attorney with at least 7 years experience, apply to take the ALJ exam! Details here.

It's hard to unseat a federal judge - they serve for life

“Federal judges have life tenure and the reason for that is to enable them to resist popular and legislative pressure,” University of Pittsburgh law professor Arthur Hellman said. “There is a long history of popular calls for impeaching federal judges, though generally for their [legal] decisions.”A federal judge can’t be forced from the bench even if convicted of a felony, he added.


This quote comes in connection with Alabama Federal judge Mark Fuller being called on to step down after domestic violence allegations. 

Article here.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has reassigned Judge Fuller’s caseload. The judge agreed to undergo counseling and a drug and alcohol evaluation through a pretrial diversion agreement with a Georgia court under a  program that gives certain non-violent offenders an opportunity to avoid prosecution.  The charges will be dropped if he completes the program.

“This incident has been very embarrassing to me, my family, friends and the court,” Judge Fuller told reporters in a statement last month. “I deeply regret this incident and look forward to working to resolve these difficulties with my family, where they should be resolved.”

What should the mindset of a judge be?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mnY9-n23Ctg

SCOTUSBlog has an 8-part interview with 4th Circuit federal judge J. Harvie Wilkinson, III, who has established a sturdy reputation as a "conservative" judge, but nails what the mindset of a judge needs to be:

article here.

From the interview:

I think when judges sit on the bench — this applies at all levels — we don’t really think about ourselves as ‘conservative’ or ‘liberal.’ Those are labels that people apply to us. And . . . I understand why they do because you have to use short-hand. But, the interesting thing is, I don’t think most judges conceive of themselves as conservative or liberal. We think of ourselves as judges first and foremost . . .

Scotus blog link. 

What's going on with Kwame Kilpatrick?

Kwame Kilpatrick (remember him? Ex-mayor of Detroit?) is being sentenced today for his public corruption case. Live blog here. A federal judge is recommending a Texas prison for Kwame, who was found guilty March 24.