The American Bar Association’s unanimous “not qualified” rating for Michael Wallace, the Mississippi lawyer nominated to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has sent Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., into a tizzy.
In an Aug. 7 letter, Specter demanded that the ABA “immediately revoke its ‘Not Qualified’ rating … and begin a new review process.” Such unanimous “not qualified” ratings are extremely rare, but the ABA, in a written summary of its decision, noted that it arrived at its conclusion after interviewing 69 lawyers and judges.
