A Hartford attorney was among those participating in an extensive evaluation of the qualifications and background of the Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee to fill the existing vacancy on the United States Supreme Court.
Attorney Collin O’Connor Udell, who practices at the Hartford office of Jackson Lewis, was selected because of her role in her capacity as committee member on the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) Supreme Court Committee.
Udell and the committee were responsible for the review of over 330 opinions and dissents authored by Garland and articles authored or coauthored by him, its interviews of dozens of individuals, and its consideration of the information publicly available.
The committee declared Garland, in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, to be “well-qualified” for the position of associate justice, which is the highest rating that the committee is authorized to confer upon a nominee.
Senate Republicans have stated publicly they will not hold a hearing on Garland’s nomination because they don’t believe a president should nominate justices in his last year in office.
