Selection Process of American Judges

Selection Process of American Judges 1
SELECTION PROCESS OF JUDGES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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Selection Process of American Judges 2
Selection Process of Judges in the United States of America
Appointment of Federal Judges by the President
The constitution of the United States of America provides the selection process of a
federal judge. The President has the role of nominating potential candidates. The senate
judiciary committee holds a sitting regarding hearing of the nominees (Bonica, Jowei and
Tim 2015). After the hearing the senate votes. For a nominee to move to the next stage, they
must receive a majority vote of the United States senate. After successful confirmation by the
senate, the next step is taking of oath. The oath involves swearing to uphold the constitution
of the United States and all other laws. After a successful oath ceremony, the judge may
assume office. If a judge successfully goes through all these processes, they hold the position
for a lifetime. There are special instances however where a judge may lose their position. One
of the ways is if the judge resigns. The second is if they decide to retire. The third is when a
judge is impeached for misbehaviour (Lasser 2017).
Supreme Court Judge Selection Process
The appointment of a supreme judge is an issue of great significance in American
politics. This is because the supreme court is the highest in the land. It is also the highest
court of appeal. The procedure of selecting a judge is outlined in the constitution. This is the
“Appointment’s Clause” (article 2, section 2, clause 2). The president is vested with the
power to nominate potential candidates to fill open judgeships. After the nomination, the
nominees appear before the senate for vetting. The senate then votes. According to Fish
(2015), for a candidate to proceed to the next stage, they must receive a majority vote in the
senate. If the candidate receives a majority vote in the senate, they can proceed to the next
step of taking oath of office. During the oath they swear to abide by the constitution and all