Obama Nominates Goodwin Liu, a Key Figure in Education Law, to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
On February 24, 2010, President Obama nominated Goodwin Liu to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Ninth Circuit serves as the federal appellate court for federal court litigation in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii.
Gordon Liu is currently an associate dean and law professor at the University of California at Berkeley. Professor Liu’s resume includes a clerkship for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and another clerkship with Judge David Tatel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
In addition, Professor Liu previously served as a special assistant to the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and a senior program officer for higher education at the Corporation for National Service. His scholarship has earned him a multitude of accolades, including the Education Law Association's Steven S. Goldberg Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Education Law in 2007. Professor Liu served on the education policy and agency review teams during the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition.
Professor Liu’s background in education law and policy would make him a pivotal figure on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and could have a profound impact on education law jurisprudence for years to come. The Washington Post reports that Professor Liu is a controversial figure to some, by virtue of his criticism of “conservative legal theories” and his opposition to the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito’s nomination.
Also on February 24, President Obama nominated the Honorable Robert N. Chatigny to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
