The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit has emerged as a top priority for President Barack Obama as he selects new federal judges, accounting for a third of his circuit court nominees so far.
But while his White House has prioritized filling its vacancies, lawyers who follow the Richmond, Va.-based court say the four nominees Obama has named are not necessarily going to remake its historically conservative outlook. That’s because Obama has avoided pulling from the ranks of liberal organizations or selecting others who would be obvious targets for Republican senators.
