Romney Campaign Press Release - Governor Mitt Romney Announces Co-Chairs Of The Advisory Committee On The Constitution And The Courts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Kevin Madden (857) 288-6390

Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney announced the Co-Chairs of the Romney for President Advisory Committee on the Constitution and the Courts. Together, Professor Mary Ann Glendon and Professor Douglas Kmiec will lead a group of noted legal scholars and professionals in advising Governor Romney on judicial matters, separation of powers and federalism issues. Additional members of the Committee will be announced at a later date.

"Too often, too many of the most important issues of our day are decided by a select group of judges. This makes it even more important that we select judges who will respect our Constitution and the rule of law. Mary Ann Glendon and Douglas Kmiec are two of our country's leading conservative voices on judicial matters and I look forward to their counsel as we move forward in this campaign," said Governor Romney.

With today's announcement, Professor Mary Ann Glendon said, "In the aftermath of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's decision redefining marriage, I had the opportunity to work with Governor Romney and see him in action. He knows the importance of defending principles of judicial restraint. I was proud to work with him then and am proud to work with him now as he pursues our nation's highest office."

Joining Professor Glendon, Professor Douglas Kmiec said, "More than any other candidate, Governor Romney understands the importance of nominating 'honest constructionists' – that is, judges with a genuine appreciation for the text, structure, and history of the Constitution and the laws as enacted. There have been far too many examples of late where the public has been given reason to believe that those charged with dispassionately interpreting the law have relied on partisanship instead. It is as wrong to politicize the Courts as it is for the Courts to play politics. For this reason, Governor Romney strongly supported the nominations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, and he will appoint federal judges and justices in the same mold. With Governor Romney as President, I am confident that we will have a judiciary that will respect our Constitution and not legislate from the bench."

The Romney For President Advisory Committee On The Constitution And The Courts Co-Chairs:

Mary Ann Glendon Is The Learned Hand Professor Of Law At Harvard University. Glendon teaches and writes on international human rights, comparative law, constitutional law, and legal theory. She served as a member of the U.S. President's Council on Bioethics from 2001 to 2005. She has represented the Holy See at United Nations meetings concerning poverty, development, and women's issues, and currently serves as President of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in Rome. She is a past-President of the International Association of Legal Science, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the International Academy of Comparative Law.

Professor Douglas Kmiec Holds The Endowed Chair In Constitutional Law At Pepperdine University Law School In Malibu, California. One of the country's best known scholars and popular law commentators, Kmiec served several years as Dean and St. Thomas More Professor of Law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and for nearly two decades, on the law faculty at the University of Notre Dame. Kmiec also served Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush from 1985-89 as Assistant Attorney General and Head of the Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice. The author of multiple volumes on the American Constitution, he writes a syndicated column for the Catholic News Service, and previously, wrote a regular column for the Chicago Tribune. He is a regular guest analyst on law issues for the national media.