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Edith Brown Clement: Background

By Jeralyn, Section Judiciary
Posted on Tue Jul 19, 2005 at 09:06:51 AM EST
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Since Republicans say all signs point to Fifth Circuit Judge Edith Brown Clement, let's take a look at her. What do you think?

From the Washington Post:

Clement was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in 1991 and was elevated to her current post by the current President Bush in 2001.

Clement, a graduate of the University of Alabama and Tulane University Law School, worked as a lawyer in private practice in New Orleans for 16 years before beginning her tenure on the federal bench. She specialized in civil litigation involving maritime law, representing oil companies, insurance companies and the marine services industry in cases before federal courts. She is a member of the Federalist Society, an influential conservative legal organization.

As a district judge, Clement presided over such high-profile cases as the 2000 trials of former Louisiana governor Edwin W. Edwards (D) and former state insurance commissioner Jim Brown (D) on fraud charges. Edwards was acquitted; Brown was convicted of lying to the FBI and sentenced to six months in prison.

Lawyers who know Clement or have tried cases before her describe her as a judicial conservative who leans toward the defense in civil cases, and as a no-nonsense judge who is strict about deadlines and insists on professionalism from lawyers.

Analysts say Clement has not attracted attention for her judicial opinions, so it is unclear which of her decisions, if any, might become the focus of a confirmation battle.

Where does she stand on criminal justice issues? My suggestion for anyone with time and a lexis or westlaw account is to check her decisions while on the District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana between 1991 and 2001.

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    Edith Brown Clement: Background | 5 comments (5 topical)
    Re: Edith Brown Clement: Background (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:23 PM EST
    We will see. it will beinteresting how she stacks up to Bush's watermark of Scalia and Thomas [url deleted, your blog is linked to under your name in the author section. Urls must be in html format or they skew the site. There is no need to reprint your name and blog after your comment.]

    Re: Edith Brown Clement: Background (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:23 PM EST
    haha, they had to roll this out to change the subject from Rove. So basically they spent what little political capital they had defending Rove, and now the ATM is all tapped out for the wingnutty justice they really wanted.

    Re: Edith Brown Clement: Background (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:23 PM EST
    I've seen some things suggesting that her public position on Roe and the right to privacy is that stare decisis ought to control. Good news if true--anyone have more information?

    Re: Edith Brown Clement: Background (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:23 PM EST
    Well, and of course, I only needed to look at TL's previous posting to see where I got that idea . . .

    Re: Edith Brown Clement: Background (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:24 PM EST
    A quick search found that she often sided with big business and against environmental preservation efforts. Dow Chemical, Mobil, Exxon, Shell Western E&P, Pennzoil, the list goes on… She fits in nicely with the corporate wing but I’m not sure her judgments give any indication how she might vote in the future. That has to scare the social conservatives.

    Edith Brown Clement: Background | 5 comments (5 topical)