SOURCE ALERT: Experts Available for Interviews on U.S. Supreme Court Nominee #Election2016
President Obama nominated appeals court Judge Merrick Garland to fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia. USC experts, including one who was a clerk for Garland, Sam Erman, explain the legal and political questions surrounding what has become a source of contention between the U.S. Senate and Obama.
This is one of a series of Source Alerts to highlight USC experts for #Election2016.
Contact: Emily Gersema (213) 740-0252 or gersema@usc.edu
Video: Constitutional law experts Assistant Professor Sam Erman and Professor Rebecca Latham Brown of the USC Gould School of Law explain the legal and political issues surrounding the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
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About the nominee
Sam Erman, USC law professor and constitutional law expert, clerked for the nominee, Garland, in 2009 and 2010 at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Erman can discuss Garland’s ideology, demeanor and record. He can also share stories and anecdotes about his time clerking for Garland.
“I became a better lawyer because I clerked with him. He is a smart, careful and fair judge which is why he has a great reputation. I am very fond of him and very happy he has been nominated.”
Erman also clerked for two U.S. Supreme Court justices: Anthony Kennedy and John Paul Stevens.
Contact: (213) 740-6372 (office) or serman@law.usc.edu; or Gilien Silsby at (213) 740-9690 or gsilsby@law.usc.edu
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What the Constitution says
“The Constitution tells us that the president ‘shall appoint’ justices of the Supreme Court with the advice and the consent of the Senate. … Never in our history has the Senate refused to take up a nomination from any president.”
Rebecca Latham Brown is a nationally recognized constitutional law theorist at the USC Gould School of Law who holds the Rader Family Trustee Chair in Law.
Contact: (213) 740-1892 or rbrown@law.usc.edu; or Gilien Silsby at (213) 740-9690 or gsilsby@law.usc.edu
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Obama’s choice
“This was the safest choice Obama could make. But it still won’t be enough for Republicans.”
Dan Schnur is the executive director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, which conducts the Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Poll. Schnur is a political analyst, campaign strategist and polling expert.
Contact: (213) 740-8964 or schnur@usc.edu
