Obama Taps Two for D.C. Circuit

President Obama just nominated Srikanth “Sri” Srinivasan to the D.C. Circuit and renominated Caitlin Halligan, Charles Savage reports at the New York Times.

Mr. Srinivasan is the DOJ’s principal deputy solicitor general.  Halligan is a former New York solicitor general.

The article notes that the nominees are not likely to get a full Senate vote unless President Obama is reelected.

Update:  In keeping with the D.C. Circuit’s scholarly bent, the White House press release notes that Halligan and Srinivasan each have law teaching experience–she at Columbia and he at Harvard.  They also clerked on the Supreme Court the same year–she for Justice Breyer and he for Justice O’Connor.

See also:

• Is the D.C. Circuit Too Small to Go En Banc?, D.C. Circuit Review (May 29, 2012) (“[T]he most fundamental reason for the D.C. Circuit’s low en banc rate in recent years is the dwindling number of active judges eligible to vote for rehearing.  (This should be–but to my knowledge is not–a common argument in favor of confirming D.C. Circuit nominees.)”)