Clyburn: Judge Childs Is My Top Pick for SCOTUS, ‘Judges Ought to Be Able to Empathize’

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “AC360,” House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) said that U.S. District Court Judge Michelle Childs is his top pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and that he believes “judges ought to be able to empathize and I think that she is incredibly prepared to be that kind of a judge.”

Host Anderson Cooper asked, “CNN is reporting that as far as potential nominees are concerned, you’re a major booster of U.S. District Court Judge Michelle Childs of South Carolina. Is Judge Childs your top pick?”

Clyburn responded, “Yes. She’s from South Carolina. I’ve known her most of her life, and she is an incredibly smart woman. She’s president of that judges association, and she has the kind of diverse background in life and education and work. She’s worked in a state agency — two state agencies. She’s been a state judge. She’s now a federal judge. She’s a graduate of a public university down in Florida and a public law school here in South Carolina, an incredibly smart woman that I believe would do well. You see, I think that people’s experiences mean a whole lot. If you’re going to sit in judgment of people, it would do well to be able to empathize with them, and you can sympathize, that’s easy to do, but I think that judges ought to be able to empathize and I think that she is incredibly prepared to be that kind of a judge.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett