Happy Friday from Avalon and Brad, and welcome to another roundup of the week’s news about the judiciary. This week, Brad broke down the impact of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s illness on the judicial nomination process. The California Democrat has asked for a replacement on the judiciary Committee while she recovers, but is that enough for President Joe Biden to outdo Trump’s impact on the bench? And Avalon takes a look at whether the Ninth Circuit really is the extremely liberal court it has a reputation for being. 

As always, please reach out to us at [email protected] or [email protected] with any tips or feedback. Follow us on Twitter at @AvalonZoppo and @BradKutner. 

Feinstein Absence, Blue Slips Complicate Judicial Nominations

Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-California, introduces a nominee during a Senate Judiciary Committee judicial nominations hearing, on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM