Bush circuit court nominee rated ‘unqualified’ by ABA News
Bush circuit court nominee rated ‘unqualified’ by ABA

[JURIST] A committee of the American Bar Association [group website] has voted unanimously that judicial nominee Michael B. Wallace [official profile] is "not qualified" [ratings, PDF] to sit on the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit [official website]. Wallace, a Mississippi lawyer and former aide to US Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) [official website], has garnered criticism from Democrats and the NAACP [advocacy website] among others for working to secure tax exemptions for the then-segregated Bob Jones University and also working with Lott to require that plaintiffs in voting rights cases prove an intent to discriminate, rather than simply the effects of discrimination. Wallace is the first appeals court candidate in 24 years to receive a unanimous "not qualified" rating from the ABA.

On Tuesday the ABA lowered its rating [JURIST report] of White House aide and nominee to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit Brett Kavanaugh [White House backgrounder] from "well qualified" to "qualified" [ratings, PDF] based on more recent interviews with judges and lawyers and questions about his courtroom performance. The New York Times has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.