Staff Reports
Senate Judiciary Committee Left Stumped by Biden’s Judicial Nominee’s Lack of Legal Knowledge
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) put President Joe Biden’s nominee for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Sara Hill, to the test during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Hill, while being grilled with legal questions, was unable to differentiate between a stay and an injunction, leaving the committee astonished at her lack of basic legal knowledge.
Biden judicial nominee fails to explain law terms when asked by Sen. John Kennedy https://t.co/XndSbfHWi8
— Nancy Skies? (@nancyskies) November 16, 2023
Despite being able to answer questions about the 13th Amendment and Seventh Amendment, Hill stumbled when asked to explain the difference between a stay and an injunction. A stay order temporarily suspends a court’s judgment or order, while an injunction order prevents a party in a case from taking certain actions. It’s puzzling that someone with aspirations of serving as a federal judge would lack such fundamental understanding of legal terms.
After the questioning, Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) jokingly praised Hill for “surviving the John Kennedy six-minute bar exam,” with Hill admitting that her contracts teacher would be appalled by her performance. It’s alarming that a nominee for a federal judgeship would struggle to grasp basic legal concepts, raising serious concerns about her qualifications for the position.
While Democrats may champion Hill as an “accomplished litigator with deep ties to Oklahoma and significant courtroom experience,” her inability to articulate fundamental legal distinctions should give the Senate pause before confirming her nomination. The Biden administration may emphasize diversity in its federal bench nominees, but competency and qualifications should not be sacrificed in the name of diversity.
This latest display of ignorance from a Biden nominee highlights the importance of thoroughly vetting individuals put forth for lifetime appointments to the federal judiciary. The Senate should carefully consider Hill’s lack of legal knowledge before making a decision on her confirmation.
