DOJ Issues Huge Judicial Shake-Up
DOJ Ends American Bar Association’s Role in Vetting Judicial NomineesDOJ Strips
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it will no longer cooperate with the American Bar Association (ABA) in vetting judicial nominees under the Trump administration.
Attorney General Pam Bondi informed the ABA on Thursday that the administration will cut off access to non-public information about nominees.
The DOJ accused the ABA of bias in its judicial nomination rating process, stating the organization favors nominees from Democratic administrations.
Bondi’s letter to ABA President William Bay argued that the ABA “no longer functions as a fair arbiter of nominees’ qualifications.”
She added that while the ABA can comment on nominations like other activist groups, it will no longer receive special treatment from the DOJ.
Specifically, the DOJ’s Office of Legal Policy will stop requiring nominees to give waivers allowing the ABA access to confidential bar records.
Nominees will also no longer answer questionnaires from the ABA or participate in ABA interviews, according to The Hill.
The ABA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the development.
This stance mirrors the White House’s approach during Trump’s first term, which also limited cooperation with the ABA.
Data from Ballotpedia shows the ABA rated 264 of Trump’s judicial nominees: 187 “well-qualified,” 67 “qualified,” and 10 “not qualified.”
The number of “not qualified” ratings is higher than under recent administrations, which had no more than three unqualified picks during their tenures.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D), the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized the DOJ’s decision as political and unjustified.
Durbin called it a “seismic change” that overturns a nearly 70-year practice of bipartisan cooperation with the ABA on nominee vetting.
He warned the move would ease confirmations for nominees lacking judicial temperament, experience, or fairness, potentially harming Americans for generations.
The Trump administration has taken other actions against the ABA, including an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to consider suspending the ABA’s law school accrediting role.
Additionally, the ABA has sued the government over cuts to grant funding that impacted its training programs abroad and a Justice Department program serving victims of domestic and sexual violence.
In one DOJ lawsuit, a judge ruled the government violated the ABA’s First Amendment rights by targeting the group.
Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, wrote that the government did not contest the ABA’s retaliation claim and cited no issues with the ABA’s grant performance.
He noted that similar grants to other organizations remained intact and the cancellation appeared motivated by the Deputy Attorney General’s memorandum sentiments.
Bondi to the American Bar Association: No cooperation in the judicial nominations process between the DOJ and ABA. pic.twitter.com/zYSRt52iDX
— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) May 29, 2025
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