The Full Read · Article by Article
Lewis Jeffrey Liman
Southern District of New York · appt. Trump
7/7
🥇 Fit for the Bench
1Ethics & Recusalcritical
72%★ earned
“No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause.” — Madison, Federalist No. 10
No documented disclosure lapse, gift issue, or upheld conduct complaint; conventional recusal practice on the SDNY record.
2Fidelity to Democracycritical
74%★ earned
“…a government of laws, and not of men.” — Marshall, Marbury v. Madison
Record reflects routine adherence to precedent and higher-court authority; no documented defiance or election-related controversy.
3Judicial Temperament
72%★ earned
“Justice must satisfy the appearance of justice.” — Frankfurter
No documented complaints of incivility toward litigants or counsel; former Cleary Gottlieb litigator with standard courtroom demeanor.
4Reason, Not Ideology
72%★ earned
“We are not final because we are infallible…” — Robert H. Jackson
Opinions read as fact-bound and case-specific; no documented pattern of ideological rather than legal reasoning.
5Intellectual Honesty & Precedent
72%★ earned
“…to stand by things decided.” (stare decisis) — the common-law maxim
No documented instance of misstating precedent or the record; limited public profile beyond ordinary rulings.
6Independence from Party
71%★ earned
“The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential.” — Hamilton, Federalist No. 78
Trump appointee with no documented partisan conduct on or off the bench; scored party-blind.
7Personal Integrity
74%★ earned
“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
No documented criminal, civil, or corruption matter; clean public record, limited beyond routine docket.
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Scores are Independent 2026’s own editorial read against the Seven Articles — ≥60% earns the star. The first two Articles are critical: fail Ethics & Recusal or Fidelity to Democracy and there is no seal, whatever else holds. Each Article carries its founding quote as the yardstick. On bias →