An American Bar Association committee on Tuesday ranked U.S. Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland as “well qualified” for the high court — its highest rating for judicial nominees. “Judge Garland is a pre-eminent member of the legal profession with outstanding legal ability and exceptional breadth of experience,” said Karol Corbin Walker, chair of the ABA’s standing committee on the federal judiciary. The association has investigated the background of federal judicial nominees and ranked them since 1953.
“He meets the highest standards of integrity, professional competence and judicial temperament,” Walker said. Walker, a shareholder in LeClairRyan’s Newark office, said in April that her 15-member committee was determined to produce a report on Garland’s nomination even though Senate Republicans are blocking confirmation hearings for Garland.
