Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

Washington, Oct. 31, 2005—Edwin Meese III, chairman of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation, issued the following statement today on the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to be associate justice of the Supreme Court:

“President Bush has made an outstanding choice in nominating Judge Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court. Judge Alito is a distinguished scholar, a gifted lawyer with broad and impressive experience, and is known in the bar as one of the greatest appellate judges in America today.

“Judge Alito’s legal credentials are impeccable. He won the top prizes at one of the leading law schools in the nation. I know personally of his outstanding qualities from his dedicated service in the Justice Department in three significant posts during the Reagan and Bush administrations.

“His impressive legal experience includes: several years as an assistant to the solicitor general, where he argued a dozen cases before the high court; deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel, which advises the president and Cabinet secretaries on constitutional issues; U.S. attorney for New Jersey; and for 15 years, as an appellate judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Indeed, Judge Alito has more federal judicial experience than 105 of 109 of the Supreme Court justices when they were appointed.

“Judge Alito also has the personal characteristics and dedication to the rule of law that will make him a renowned justice of the Supreme Court. He is a humble man with the highest integrity, an even temperament, and a sound judicial philosophy. In his actions as a lawyer and a judge, he has shown careful and consistent fidelity to the Constitution and laws as written, without injecting bias or personal preferences.

“We thank the president for his fidelity to the Constitution and laws in naming such a distinguished jurist. It is now up to the Senate to act promptly to consider and vote on this nomination to fill the vacancy on the high court that was announced on July 1.”