Thread by @Peaceful_411

I think we are beginning to see the unraveling of the power structure of institutions that controls our highest courts.

Hello there, Yale.

amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/s…

Amy Chua and her Jed husband Rubenfeld are towering figures at Yale and were described by one student as being the centre of gravity at the elite law school, connecting students to jobs and clerkships, and rewarding loyalty.

Yale provided Kavanaugh with many of the judge’s clerks over the years, and Chua played an outsized role in vetting the clerks who worked for him. But the process made some students deeply uncomfortable.

Chua was known for instructing female law students who were preparing for interviews with Kavanaugh on ways they could dress to exude a “model-like” femininity to help them win a post in Kavanaugh’s chambers, according to sources.

Chua allegedly told the students that it was “no accident” that Kavanaugh’s female clerks “looked like models”.

Students reacted with surprise & quickly pointed out that Chua’s own daughter was due to clerk for Kavanaugh.

Chua quickly responded, saying that her own daughter would not put up with any inappropriate behaviour.

Yale Law School official's statement:

“This is the first we have heard claims that Prof Chua coached students to look ‘like models’. We will look into these claims promptly, taking into account the fact that Prof Chua is currently unreachable due to serious illness.”

The Guardian goes on to report that Rubenfeld, Chua's husband, is currently the subject of an internal investigation at Yale.

The investigation is focused on Rubenfeld’s conduct, particularly with female law students.

Students have also raised related concerns to Yale authorities about Chua’s powerful influence in the clerkships process.

The investigation was initiated before Kavanaugh was nominated by Donald Trump to serve on the high court. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Its like what @TheRickWilson keeps telling us.

Everything Trump touched DIES. At least its reputation.

Side Note: "Feeder judges" is quite real. Here is the path to become a SCOTUS:

1. Be born into the right family, preferably a white male

2. Attend Harvard or Yale law school

3. Clerk for certain appellate federal judges (look for ones who count ^ schools as their ala mater)

So if you have a powerful appellate judge, say who sits on the 9th Circuit & happens to have certain "proclivities", just imagine how this already unfair system easily becomes corrupted.

There MUST be more scrutiny on Judge Kosinski, who's protege just happened to be Kavanaugh.

CODA: Of course cronyism exists in all institutions. The difference here is if you get a job at THIS institution - the Federal bench - it's a LIFELONG job that involves changing/making laws that affect the entire country.

So if this institution gets corrupted...

Well done. Yale Law School students and alum!

WaPo: Yale students and alumni blast law school for praising Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s choice for Supreme Court

H/T @Extra_Legal

washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/a…

Scores of Yale University students, alumni & educators have signed a letter blasting the law school for “boasting” of the accomplishments of Kavanaugh — who earned his law degree there in 1990 — shortly after President Trump publicly nominated him to join the U.S. Supreme Court.

The letter refers to a press release issued Mon by the Yale Law School noting the nomination & quoting several people who praise Kavanaugh.

The open letter to Gerken and other leaders at the Yale Law School (see below) says in part:

Yet the press release’s focus on the nominee’s professionalism, pedigree, and service to Yale Law School obscures the true stakes of his nomination and raises a disturbing question:

"Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination presents an emergency — for democratic life, for our safety and freedom, for the future of our country. His nomination is not an interesting intellectual exercise to be debated amongst classmates and scholars in seminar."

"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."

"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. . ."

Well done, Yale Law students & alumni, well done.

"Now is the time for moral courage — which for Yale Law School comes at so little cost. Perhaps you, as an institution & as individuals, will benefit less from Judge Kavanaugh’s ascendant power if you withhold your support."

"Perhaps Judge Kavanaugh will be less likely to hire your favorite students. But people WILL DIE if he is confirmed. We hope you agree YOUR SACRIFICE would be worth it. Please use your authority & platform to expose the stakes of this moment & the threat that Kavanaugh poses."

My favorite part:

"We see in these rulings an intellectually & morally bankrupt ideologue intent on rolling back our rights and the rights of our clients. Judge Kavanaugh’s resume is certainly marked by prestige, groomed for exactly this nomination..."

"...But degrees and clerkships should not be the only, or even the primary, credential for a Supreme Court appointment.

A COMMITMENT to law and justice is."

And my second favorite part:

The Yale School Law students & alumni penned this letter BEFORE Dr. Ford's allegation came out - clear back on July 10, 2018.

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Update: In a letter Thurs to the law school community, Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken wrote that she wanted to "address the press reports today regarding allegations of faculty misconduct.

nbcnews.com/politics/supre…

The dean of Yale Law School on responded to reports that a prominent professor at the school had advised students seeking judicial clerkships w/Brett Kavanaugh on their physical looks, saying the reported allegations of faculty misconduct are "of enormous concern."

According to reports in The Guardian & Above the Law, Amy Chua, a professor at YLS, would advise students on their physical appearance if they wanted to seek a clerkship for Kavanaugh.

Specifically, Chua would help potential applicants to have a "model-like" appearance.

"I strongly encourage any members of our community who have been affected by misconduct to take advantage of Yale University's resources for reporting incidents and receiving support," the letter from the Dean said.