UC Berkeley Law Professor Goodwin Liu
Goodwin Liu is a 40 year old law professor at U.C. Berkeley‘s Boalt Hall. A recognized expert on constitutional law, Liu was nominated by Governor Jerry Brown to succeed Carlos Moreno as California’s newest Supreme Court justice.
Liu’s nomination to the California Supreme Court comes two months after a nomination to the 9th district court of appeals in San Francisco was scuttled by a Senate filibuster over his second nomination to the appeals court in two years.
A former chairman of the left-leaning American Constitutional Society and an outspoken critic of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, Liu is a widely published writer on legal issues, a former Rhodes Scholar and a U.S. Supreme Court clerk. While Liu has gained endorsements from both the left and the right in his appellate bid, California’s Republican leadership has criticized Governor Brown’s choice as ‘predictable’.
Liu’s appointment and his well researched academic background will add both balance and diversity to an otherwise right leaning California Supreme Court. While he has no experience in the role of a judge or a justice, he’s been a law professor at Boalt Hall since 2003. Given the American Bar Associations highest qualification rating in his appellate bid, it is anticipated that Liu will sail past the state bar committee as well as the commission on judicial appointments to become California’s newest Supreme Court Justice. Judicial Council Watcher commends Governor Jerry Brown on his choice of a well educated, well written outsider as California’s newest Supreme Court Justice.
Produced by Yen Interactive Media for Judicial Council Watcher
Related articles
- Goodwin Liu, Berkeley Law Professor, Nominated To California Supreme Court (huffingtonpost.com)
- Goodwin Liu would give California Supreme Court an Asian majority (latimesblogs.latimes.com)
- A Conservative’s Worst Nightmare: Justice Goodwin Liu? (abovethelaw.com)
- Legal Leaders Express Support for Nomination of Goodwin Liu for California Supreme Court (yubanet.com)
Judicial Council Watcher 
Let's Be Honest, Folks
July 27, 2011
Let’s see:
Never decided as much as a small claims case. Absolute ideologue. Believes the constitution is silly putty, whose words mean nothing, and everything. So radical he couldn’t get past the US Senate when Obama nominated him for the 9th Circuit. So radical that even Rahm Emmanuel warned the President not to nominate him due to his extreme radicalism.
Let’s be honest: This is a horrible choice. Jerry Brown has absolutely learned nothing over the years. His last Supreme picks were unceremoniously tossed off the court in a voter revolt. Is he trying to relive the 1970s here?
What an absolute slam to the hundreds of hard working California Judges and Justices who have quietly labored at the oars over the years, only to be passed over by Gyro Gearloose.
Nathaniel Woodhull
July 27, 2011
And people seriously wonder why native Californians are fleeing this State in droves.
With respect, Mr. Liu has been a law professor at UC Berkeley since he was 32 years old. He obtained his law degree in 1999, yet he is deemed to be a “Constitutional expert”. It was fine for him to testify against Chief Justice Roberts or Justice Alito, stating that people being nominated to the Supreme Court should be evaluated on more than their legal intellect.
Mr. Liu is a self-admitted, full-blown “judicial activist”. His opinions will reflect that the Constitution means what he says it means. Just follow his trail to his days on the “People’s Platform” while attending Stanford.
This nominee has zero trial experience, never served as a trial judge, nor as an appellate justice.
Governor Brown is certainly consistent. This reflects the same decisions he made when appointing Bird, Reynoso & Grodin. That worked out for him pretty well as I recall. Only difference is that this State has seemingly caught up with his outlook on life. Good luck everybody!
blowthewhistle
July 27, 2011
Is this really a good idea? No experience as a judge? No wonder he was rejected for the Ninth Circuit. As I recall, Rose Bird was just a public defender with no bench experience who then politicized the courts by taking a political stance on the death penalty. Only 40 and only a lawyer since 1999? How could he possibly be qualified?????
Wendy Darling
July 27, 2011
He can’t possibly be any worse than the parting gift of the current California Chief Justice to the people of the State of California from HRH Ron George and the recently departed Governor Schwarzenegger.
Long live the ACJ.
sharonkramer
July 27, 2011
He’s an academic with ties to the White House and scholars across the US who study the Constitution and the impact of its interpretation on public policies. Never underestimate the impact of higher education academics when setting/changing policy and practices in all branches of government. Do you think it could be possible that someone is listening?
Wendy Darling
July 29, 2011
Published today, Friday, July 29, from The Recorder, the on-line publication of CalLaw, by Kate Moser and Cheryl Miller:
With Liu Pick, Brown Hopes to Return Court to the Cutting Edge
Kate Moser and Cheryl MillerContact
http://www.law.com/jsp/ca/PubArticleCA.jsp?id=1202509108567&With_Liu_Pick_Brown_Hopes_to_Return_Court_to_the_Cutting_Edge
Long live the ACJ.