Washington Whispers

The Supreme Court Wants Minorities

By Paul Bedard

May 6, 2009 RSS Feed Print

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

The ranks of minority law clerks at federal courts stink, but Supreme Court justices are at least trying to hire blacks and Hispanics. "There is not a plethora of them coming from the [schools] that we choose from," says Clarence Thomas. Still, he says that of the court's 36 clerks, 13 are women and four are minorities. "Members of the court to a very great extent have bent over backwards making an effort," adds Thomas. Still: "I would like to see it increased," says the court's black justice.

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Tags:
Supreme Court,
Clarence Thomas

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If justice is to be served, it must demand qualifications before quotas. We all know that, right?

Jeanne of CA 10:38PM May 12, 2009

I don't know if there is anything more destructive to a nation than political correctness. Competence must always take a back seat quotas based on skin color, religion, sexual orientation, and genitalia, eventually degrading every institution.

Luther of IL 9:51PM May 06, 2009

as badly as clerks as we need them as Justices. When you get more of them as Justices, of course, then you'll also have more of them as clerks. Given the make-up of the nation, we ought to have AT LEAST four women on the Supreme Court all the times.

As for Clarence Thomas, I doubt lots of women are dying to work for him. There was Anita Hill, and then there is the fact that Justice Thomas generally votes against women in his decisions. Ledbetter and Engquist cases come to mind.

Muser of NM 12:52PM May 06, 2009

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