Judge Britt Grant Confirmed to Appellate Bench
On July 31, Georgia Supreme Court judge Britt Grant was confirmed as the newest justice for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals by a vote of 52 to 46.
Although she was just appointed to her seat on Georgia's highest court in 2017 by the state's governor, and has barely just gotten that bench warm, she'll soon be taking the place of Judge Julie Carnes, who only recently stepped down to senior status. Grant was nominated before Carnes even scooted off the bench, and probably would have been confirmed that soon too, if it wasn't for political in-fighting.
Kavanaugh Connection
Interestingly, current SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh, while serving as a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals judge, actually employed Britt Grant as a law clerk. Naturally, Judge Kavanaugh vetted Grant, who also held notable positions in the Bush Administration and as the Solicitor General for the state of Georgia.
Grant's home-state Senators cheered the confirmation, expressing great pride in their fellow Georgian's success.
Grant Controversy
While the controversy surrounding Grant was less contentious than many of the other nominations, there were several partisan concerns regarding Grant's ideological stances, particularly while serving as Georgia's solicitor general.
Regardless, those concerns were not enough to derail her confirmation, which took approximately four months. Her political pedigree is indeed extensive, which likely helped to convince the lawmakers that she'd make a lawmaker-friendly Justice; she has worked for a few different politicians, in the White House, in the federal appellate court, and, of course, on her home-state's government and high court.
Related Resources:
- Aimco v. Airbnb Allowed to Proceed in Florida State Court (FindLaw's U.S. Eleventh Circuit Blog)
- Suspicionless Electronics Border Search Okay in Eleventh Circuit (FindLaw's U.S. Eleventh Circuit Blog)
- Court Says No Discrimination Protection for Gays, Lesbians in the Workplace - Again (FindLaw's U.S. Eleventh Circuit Blog)