In the 12 years since he was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Judge Thomas Hardiman has developed a reputation as a hardworking jurist who balances the arguments of both sides with the existing precedent. As a result, the judge, who is on the shortlist of potential nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, cannot be easily labeled, according to those who have practiced before him.

“I don’t think you can put a label on it,” Reed Smith appellate attorney James Martin said. “He would be the first one to resist that he has some sort of pre-disposition in his decision-making that allows you to predict how he’s going to rule in a case.”