Prof up for Justice post

Senior U.S. Circuit Judge and Law Professor Leon Higginbotham is one of four candidates being considered for the Attorney General post, The Washington Post reported Sunday. The Post reported that Higginbotham's name is on President Clinton's short list of possible replacements for former nominee Zoe Baird, who withdrew from consideration for the job after it was reported that she had hired illegal aliens. Higginbotham, who is also a University Trustee and an adjunct sociology professor, declined to comment on the report last night. His staff would not confirm or deny whether the judge is under consideration. Associate Law School Dean Robert Gorman praised Higginbotham last night, saying he is "unquestionably qualified" for the position. "He's had a long and distinguished career," he said. "His devotion to social justice is unparalleled and he would bring tremendous powers of intellect, learning, compassion and experience to the job." Higginbotham was the youngest person appointed federal district judge in the last 30 years when he was sworn in in 1964. He has lectured at some of the most prestigious law schools, including Stanford, Harvard, and Yale universities and the University of Michigan. Higginbotham also holds honorary degrees from over 50 universities and is an award-winning author on race and legal matters. Fellow circuit judge Edward Becker, a close friend of Higginbotham's for the past 22 years and a 1954 University graduate, lauded Higginbotham on a personal level. "He's a wonderful human being," he said. "He's a people person who radiates integrity and commands respect." Becker added that Higginbotham is "one of the hardest workers around." Gorman joined Becker in praising Higginbotham's work ethic. "He's an unbelievable worker," he said. "In addition to everything he's done, he's maintained a schedule of teaching and lecturing that would exhaust most human beings." Gorman added that Higginbotham's extensive track record would make him equal, if not superior, to Baird in terms of qualifications. "Baird has had relatively little exposure to many of the major issues that flow through the Attorney General's office, such as criminal law and civil rights," he said. "By virtue of his experiences, both on the bench and before [reaching] the bench, Higginbotham is unquestionably qualified." Becker added that Higginbotham has also had more experience on an international scale than Baird and is a "very objective" person. "He's just a very down-the-middle kind of guy," he said. Higginbotham has often been mentioned as a possible Supreme Court candidate in the past, but his liberal views often clashed with the White House's conservativism during the Reagan/Bush years. The Post has speculated that the 64-year-old Higginbotham might not be interested in heading the Justice Department since he will retire next year and will become eligible for his judicial pension on February 25.