WASHINGTON(August 16, 2023)—The House is calling for an end to “judge shopping” in federal courts. “Judge Shopping” refers to picking particular judges in certain divisions to influence the outcome of a trial. The American Bar Association claims that judges should be picked at random to “help support the legitimacy of our federal courts and the public’s confidence in them.”
If you would like more context on the matter, please consider John P. Collins, Jr, Associate Professor of Fundamentals of Lawyering at the George Washington University Law School. Professor Collins is an expert in judicial nominations, developments ,and court administration and reform.
Professor Collins is quoted saying, “It (judge shopping) does relate to judicial appointments in the sense that the judgeships themselves can be gamed using blue slips, and that then gives you the opportunity to shop for more favorable venues. The Biden administration is about to run into some blue slip problems.”
To speak with Professor John P. Collins, please reach out to Media Relations Specialist Shannon Mitchell at [email protected].