Yale Law School alumni rally to Brett Kavanaugh's defense
Members of the Yale Law School community are pushing back against hyperbolic attacks on alumnus Brett Kavanaugh following his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The open letter was written as a counter to Yale Law School (YLS) students, faculty members, and alumni who wrote a response to YLS administrators, condemning the school’s support of Kavanaugh in a press release following his nomination.
“Support for Judge Kavanaugh is not apolitical. It is a political choice about the meaning of the constitution and our vision of democracy, a choice with real consequences for real people,” the letter urges. “Without a doubt, Judge Kavanaugh is a threat to the most vulnerable. He is a threat to many of us, despite the privilege bestowed by our education, simply because of who we are.”
The July 10 letter, which even goes so far as to predict that “people will die” if Kavanaugh is confirmed, had over 800 signatures as of press time.
[RELATED: Students demand that Yale Law spurn alumn’s SCOTUS nomination]
In response, other YLS students, faculty members, and alumni produced a competing letter praising both Kavanaugh’s qualifications and Yale’s decision to celebrate its distinguished alumnus.
“Judge Kavanaugh is a distinguished jurist qualified for the highest public service. He should be given the fair, principled, and swift consideration he deserves,” the letter asserts.
“We are proud of Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, and believe that his accomplishments and qualifications speak for themselves,” the letter continues. “We admire the Yale Law faculty who have spoken in support of Judge Kavanaugh’s qualifications and commitment to the Constitution.”
The letter of support, which positively addresses the YLS support of Kavanaugh, has attracted nearly 300 signatures since July 12.
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Yale, meanwhile, has stood by its original reaction to Kavanaugh’s nomination, pointing out that it would have been inconsistent for the school to ignore or criticize the accomplishment.
“Yale Law School routinely acknowledges high-profile nominations of our alumni,” a Yale Law School spokesperson told Campus Reform. “We are a nonpartisan institution. While individual faculty members, as always, are free to make comments regarding candidates, the law school does not support or oppose any nominations.”
Indeed, YLS issued a similar congratulatory press release when Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a 1979 graduate, was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama.
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