Clifford steps off Hagan panel
U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan is expected to make recommendations on who should fill key federal judicial vacancies in North Carolina, such as the U.S. Attorneys for the state and judgeships on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Hagan assembled a three-member panel to help her vet appointments, including Locke Clifford, a Greensboro attorney and long-time supporter.
It was a bit surprising to learn today that Clifford has stepped away from this panel. When I called to ask why, he said:
"I can't speak on that subject right now, sorry, and I've got to hang up, bye."
That's a bit odd for Clifford, who has usually been very polite and patient on the phone with me. But it may speak to reason why he's stepping away.
Word on the street here in Raleigh is that Clifford may have been hired by former Gov. Mike Easley. If that's the case, it would be a sign to my scruffy reporter’s mind that Easley thinks he might actually have some trouble on his hands. Clifford is very well regarded for taking on difficult criminal defense work in Greensboro.
Replacing Clifford on Hagan's judiciary vetting panel will be Jim Phillips. Hagan's office sent over this short bio on Phillips:
Jim Phillips, an attorney in Greensboro, is a graduate of the Wake Forest School of Law, where he was editor-in-chief of the Wake Forest Law Review, and received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he served as student body president. Phillips is involved in the North Carolina academic and legal communities, serving as the former chair of the UNC Board of Governors and as a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Committee on Judicial Independence.
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