Take no offense it should read �Chief Justice of the United States� John Roberts. All others titles belonging to this high court should be referred to as an Associate Justice.

Cool. Though this probably won't help BYU's drastic decent in the law school rankings this last year. A drop of ten spots in one year is unprecedented.

Interesting that the author of the article constantly refers to the Supreme Court as "increasingly conservative," but doesn't bother to define it. That is likely because the author doesn't know what it means, either. If the author means that the decisions make conservatives happy, that might be correct, but judicial conservatism actually means maintaining the status quo, which is not what the current Court has been doing. An undue focus on conservatism on the court mistakes the true dynamic that currently exists on the Court, as well, for the true battle is one of original textualism versus original intentionalism versus "living constitutionalism." It is probably too much to address in a short news article, but the author could have done a little more research, and made themselves look much less ignorant, if they hadn't been so intent on criticizing the "conservative" bent of the new Court.

The NY Times is quite duplicitous in saying the �court�s hyper-partisan approach to the law is unhealthy.� They never condemn the partisan approach to the nomination process which really became nasty with the Bork nomination hearings. They are probably annoyed that the court�s opinions look less and less like the NY Times editorial page.

I�m glad Mr. Roberts has the lifetime appointment to the court and not Mr. Reid. I think the sanctity of the family is better protected by the good Catholic Roberts than by what Mr. Reid�s voting record has shown his real attitude to be, regardless of what he professes over the podium in the Marriott Center.

BYU is ranked 44rth tied with Arizona University, University of Utah is ranked 57th right above that pillar of knowledge Brooklyn Law School. So if BYU fell 10 spots that meant they were ranked 34th which would be pretty good. As a matter of fact it would have put them in the company such schools as of George Mason and UC Davis, not bad. I wonder if the University of Utah will ever even rank in the top 50?

I guess the attack on Senator Reid will continue, whatever the topic is SUPPOSED to be. Roberts, it should be said, is no pacifist in the partisan wars. He advised the Reagan administration while still in his 20's, and was up to his neck in the post-election struggle in Florida 2000. The conservative core of today's Court will outlast the next several presidential terms.

To "BYU has a law school":

Plenty of law schools have suffered dramatic drops in USNEWS's arbitrary ranking system.

BYU's law school is solid. It doesn't enjoy the same reputation as the big eastern schools, but who cares? Is there a better law school anywhere in the intermountain west? Probably not.

And "no", I didn't get my JD at BYU. And "yes", I think USNEWS rankings do nearly as much harm as good.

- KCFan

I graduated from BYU's law school and am a prosecutor. My older brother graduated from BYU law school and is Chairman of a large state controlled public energy and utility board. My younger brother is a graduate of BYU law school and went on to clerk for the 9th Cicuit Court of Appeals in San Fran and the Supreme Court of the United States (for two not one justice) and has turned down a federal judicial appointment in his career.

What other law schools is the Chief addressing out west or on his way back out east?

To Jurist:

The U was in the top fifty up until last year.