Some Judicial Nomination News
Time for a few updates on a subject near and dear to our heart, which we've been neglecting as of late: federal judicial nominations. Here's the latest news:
1. Texas state court judge Jennifer Elrod (at right), whom we previously identified as a possible nominee to the Fifth Circuit (and compared to Jennifer Aniston), has been officially nominated to that court. We've heard good things about Judge Elrod and wish her the best of luck in the confirmation process.
2. Connecticut state court judge Vanessa Bryant, discussed previously here, has been confirmed to the District of Connecticut.
3. Earlier this month, the White House sent a raft of judicial nominations over to the Senate. Nothing terribly exciting.
The two most controversial nominees in the bunch: state court judge Janet Neff (D. Mich.), and trial lawyer Richard Honaker (D. Wyo.). They may generate opposition on opposite sides of the aisle. Neff got a lot of grief from the conservative Sen. Sam Brownback for having attended a lesbian commitment ceremony. Honaker may be targeted by liberals for his record of strong opposition to abortion.
Here's a random bit of trivia about Honaker: he was a Harvard classmate of Al Franken. If Honaker runs into opposition from liberals (despite being a trial lawyer and card-carrying member of ATLA), will Franken testify in his defense before the Senate Judiciary Committee?
(The article also mentions Billy Crystal, but we don't believe Billy Crystal went to Harvard.)
Update: HA! The Billy Crystal mystery is revealed. Check out this comment.
Nomination Sent to the Senate [WhiteHouse.gov]
Nominations Confirmed [Senate.gov via How Appealing]
Nominations Sent to the Senate [WhiteHouse.gov]
Harris County civil judge nominated to federal bench [Houston Chronicle]
Bush renominates five Michiganians to federal judgeships [Detroit News]
Thomas announces judgeship nomination for Rock Springs lawyer [Casper Star-Tribune via How Appealing]
(5) 
I wonder if Honaker meant Bill Kristol of the PNAC and Weekly Standard. This Kristol graduated from Harvard in 1973, the same year as Honaker, and is probably much more likely to have been an "intellectual" than Billy Crystal.
As you suggested, the movie star Billy Crystal didn't go to Harvard, but studied for a while at Marshall University in WV, Nassau Community College, and at NYU, graduating in 1970.
Uranus
Elrod is a LOWLY county judge (ya know, like traffic tickets). She is NOT a state judge
Can't you refer to any non-federal judge as a state court judge?
Elrod is judge of the 190th Judicial District Court in Harris County. In Texas, "district court" means the same thing as it does in the federal system - the first-instance trial court of general jurisdiction. She is not a JP, municipal judge, or county judge.
I've had the pleasure of getting to know Judge Elrod through the Federalist Society, the Houston Bar Association, and the Houston Young Lawyers Association. We have often spoken of judicial philosophy and judicial administration. She is intelligent, friendly, and judicious. Her reputation in Houston is excellent. She is a fine choice for this vacancy.