From Judgepedia

John Cornyn (b.1952) is a Republican Senator and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Cornyn is the junior Senator from Texas.

Early life and education

A native of Texas, Senator Cornyn graduated from Trinty University in San Antonio, Texas with his Bachelor's degree in 1973. Senator Cornyn later graduated with his Juris Doctor degree from St. Mary's Law in San Antonio in 1977. Senator Cornyn later earned a Master of Laws degree from Virginia Law in 1995^[1].

Professional career

After law school, Cornyn was a private practice attorney from 1977 to 1985 for the Law Firm of Groce, Locke, and Hebdon. Cornyn became a Texas District Court judge in 1985. Cornyn served in the Texas District Court from 1985 until he was sworn into the Texas Supreme Court in 1991. Once leaving the Texas Supreme Court in 1997, Cornyn ran for Texas Attorney General in 1998. Cornyn was elected by the people of Texas as the top law enforcement official. Cornyn was sworn into office in 1999 until he left his post as Attorney General in 2002 to run for the United States Senate in Texas^[1].

Texas Supreme Court

Senator Cornyn was a former member of the Texas Supreme Court. Cornyn was first elected to Texas's highest court in 1990 and served on the court until 1997.

Senate career

Senator John Cornyn was first elected to the US Senate in 2002. Cornyn was re-elected in November of 2008 with his term expiring in 2016. Cornyn is the current Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee^[1].

Senate Judiciary Committee

Senator Cornyn was first appointed to Senate Judiciary Committee shortly after he was sworn in on January of 2003^[2]. Cornyn serves as the Republican Ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security. In addition, Cornyn serves on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, The Constitution, Human Rights and the Law, and Terrorism and Homeland Security^[3].

Senator Cornyn has participated in the confirmation hearings for Chief Justice John Roberts in 2005 and Associate Justices Samuel Alito in 2006 and Sonia Sotomayor in 2009 to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Notable moments

Judicial activism

Senator Cornyn has been noted as one of the leading advocates in the Senate Judiciary Committee on the issue of Judicial Activism. Senator Cornyn has expressed serious concern on the issue over cases involving gun rights and the Second Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, and the Takings clause in the Constitution involving property rights. Senator Cornyn has also said that judges should not move the law into one direction or the other towards their preferences. This was key in addressing the issue of Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States in 2009. Cornyn voted against the confirmation of Sotomayor, but took the committee to task about the proper role of how judge should rule fairly and impartially. Cornyn who serves on the committee is the only member on the committee with appellate level judicial experience^[4]

Senator Cornyn spoke on the issue of judicial activism in front of The Federalist Society during a talk with the Dallas Area Lawyers Chapter on October 14, 2009. During his speech, the Senator criticized the Obama Administration for nominating judges and key legal advisers for embracing judicial activism^[5]. Cornyn cited nominations including the one of Harold Koh in front of speaking of the Federalist Society for embracing activism including Koh's belief that the American court system should be trans-national^[5].

Sotomayor hearings

During the confirmation hearings of Sonia Sotomayor in 2009, Senator Cornyn questioned the then-appeals judge heavily on her past rulings and on the issue of judicial activism. During the confirmation hearing, Senator Cornyn like all the other committee members asked Sonia Sotomayor on her intent of the "wise latina" remark. However, Senator Cornyn expressed concerns about her meaning of the so-called remarks during his round of questioning. Also, Senator Cornyn questioned the motives of Sotomayor on the case of Ricci v. DeStefano in which she ruled on the Second Circuit before the case was heard by the US Supreme Court days before her confirmation hearing^[6].

Senator Cornyn also criticized Sotomayor for her views celebrating the uncertainty of the law claiming that the law was in a state of flux. Cornyn who has spoke out on the issue of judicial activism in the past cited this statement and other statements that drew ire with Republican Senators as a main reason for voting against her nomination^[6].

When Senator Cornyn questioned Judge Sotomayor on the Ricci case, he told Sotomayor that he was "shocked" about Judge Sotomayor and the other two judges she served on the panel issuing a three sentence summary order in making its ruling. Also, Senator Cornyn questioned why Sotomayor did not cite legal authority in issuing the ruling for Ricci v. DeStefano. Sotomayor responded that seventy-five percent of federal court of appeals opinions only require a summary order in which she defended her rationale for the three sentence order. Judge Sotomayor said that the Supreme Court has the broader authority to examine legal questions in-depth citing that federal appeals courts do not have the capacity to make a broad decision^[6].

External links

• Senator John Cornyn's official website.
• Senator Cornyn on VoteSmart
• Senator Cornyn at the Senate Judiciary Committee
• Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security

References