- May 18, 2016 -
Donald J. Trump Releases List of Potential United States Supreme Court Justices
(New York, NY) May 18, 2016 - Today Donald J. Trump released the
much-anticipated list of people he would consider as potential
replacements for Justice Scalia at the United States Supreme Court. This
list was compiled, first and foremost, based on constitutional
principles, with input from highly respected conservatives and
Republican Party leadership.
Mr. Trump stated, “Justice Scalia
was a remarkable person and a brilliant Supreme Court Justice. His
career was defined by his reverence for the Constitution and his legacy
of protecting Americans’ most cherished freedoms. He was a Justice who
did not believe in legislating from the bench and he is a person whom I
held in the highest regard and will always greatly respect his
intelligence and conviction to uphold the Constitution of our country.
The following list of potential Supreme Court justices is representative
of the kind of constitutional principles I value and, as President, I
plan to use this list as a guide to nominate our next United States
Supreme Court Justices.”
Steven Colloton
Steven
Colloton of Iowa is a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth
Circuit, a position he has held since President George W. Bush
appointed him in 2003. Judge Colloton has a résumé that also includes
distinguished service as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of
Iowa, a Special Assistant to the Attorney General in the Justice
Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, and a lecturer of law at the
University of Iowa. He received his law degree from Yale, and he clerked
for Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Judge Colloton is an Iowa native.
Allison Eid
Allison
Eid of Colorado is an associate justice of the Colorado Supreme Court.
Colorado Governor Bill Owens appointed her to the seat in 2006; she was
later retained for a full term by the voters (with 75% of voters
favoring retention). Prior to her judicial service, Justice Eid served
as Colorado’s solicitor general and as a law professor at the University
of Colorado. Justice Eid attended the University of Chicago Law School,
and she clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas.
Raymond Gruender
Raymond
Gruender of Missouri has been a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Eighth Circuit since his 2004 appointment by President George W.
Bush. Judge Gruender, who sits in St. Louis, Missouri, has extensive
prosecutorial experience, culminating with his time as the U.S. Attorney
for the Eastern District of Missouri. Judge Gruender received a law
degree and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis.
Thomas Hardiman
Thomas
Hardiman of Pennsylvania has been a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Third Circuit since 2007. Prior to serving as a circuit judge,
he served as a judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District
of Pennsylvania since 2003. Before his judicial service, Judge Hardiman
worked in private practice in Washington, D.C. and Pittsburgh. Judge
Hardiman was the first in his family to attend college, graduating from
Notre Dame.
Raymond Kethledge
Raymond
Kethledge of Michigan has been a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Sixth Circuit since 2008. Before his judicial service, Judge
Kethledge served as judiciary counsel to Michigan Senator Spencer
Abraham, worked as a partner in two law firms, and worked as an in-house
counsel for the Ford Motor Company. Judge Kethledge obtained his law
degree from the University of Michigan and clerked for Justice Anthony
Kennedy.
Joan Larsen
Joan
Larsen of Michigan is an Associate Justice of the Michigan Supreme
Court. Justice Larsen was a professor at the University of Michigan
School of Law from 1998 until her appointment to the bench. In 2002, she
temporarily left academia to work as an Assistant Attorney General in
the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. Justice Larsen
received her law degree from Northwestern and clerked for Justice
Antonin Scalia.
Thomas Lee
Thomas
Lee of Utah has been an Associate Justice of the Utah Supreme Court
since 2010. Beginning in 1997, he served on the faculty of Brigham Young
University Law School, where he still teaches in an adjunct capacity.
Justice Lee was Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Justice
Department’s Civil Division from 2004 to 2005. Justice Lee attended the
University of Chicago Law School, and he clerked for Justice Clarence
Thomas. Justice Lee is also the son of former U.S. Solicitor General Rex
Lee and the brother of current U.S. Senator Mike Lee.
William Pryor
William
H. Pryor, Jr. of Alabama is a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Eleventh Circuit. He has served on the court since 2004. Judge Pryor
became the Alabama Attorney General in 1997 upon Jeff Sessions’s
election to the U.S. Senate. Judge Pryor was then elected in his own
right in 1998 and reelected in 2002. In 2013, Judge Pryor was confirmed
to a term on the United States Sentencing Commission. Judge Pryor
received his law degree from Tulane, and he clerked for Judge John Minor
Wisdom of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
David Stras
David
Stras of Minnesota has been an Associate Justice of the Minnesota
Supreme Court since 2010. After his initial appointment, he was elected
to a six-year term in 2012. Prior to his judicial service, Judge Stras
worked as a legal academic at the University of Minnesota Law School. In
his time there, he wrote extensively about the function and structure
of the judiciary. Justice Stras received his law degree and an M.B.A.
from the University of Kansas. He clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas.
Diane Sykes
Diane
Sykes of Wisconsin has served as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Seventh Circuit since 2004. Prior to her federal appointment,
Judge Sykes had been a Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court since 1999
and a Wisconsin trial court judge of both civil and criminal matters
before that. Judge Sykes received her law degree from Marquette.
Don Willett
Don
Willett of Texas has been a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court since
2005. He was initially appointed by Governor Rick Perry and has been
reelected by the voters twice. Prior to his judicial service, Judge
Willett worked as a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation,
as an advisor in George W. Bush’s gubernatorial and presidential
administrations, as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Justice
Department’s Office of Legal Policy, and as a Deputy Attorney General
under then-Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. Justice Willett received
his law degree and a master’s degree from Duke.
Nick Gass / 
