As the Senate prepares to vote on whether Elena Kagan should fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, there remain a substantial number of other vacancies in the nation’s lower federal courts that urgently need filling.

Currently, there are about 100 vacancies in the lower federal courts. The American Bar Association says the lack of judges is affecting the efficiency and fairness of the justice system.

ABA President Carolyn B. Lamm said, “Our courts are already terribly strained at the federal level because of the caseload and the workload, and when you’re a hundred justices down…that’s a big gap.  We have speedy trial rules that require them to put criminal cases first.  As a result, all of the civil proceedings are put off and there is a real gap in terms of a significant delay as a result of the vacancies. It is edging toward a crisis not to have a full bench.”

Even if all the vacancies were filled, said Lamm, a significant number of new judgeships would still be necessary to handle caseload growth.  In fact, the Judicial Conference of the United States is recommending 67 new permanent and temporary judgeships. 

Beyond the existing 100 vacancies, more than 20 additional judges have announced that they will retire in the next several months. Since the start of the 111th Congress, President Obama has made 78 nominations to fill the empty seats, and the Senate has confirmed 36 of the nominees.  

Lamm noted that most nominees have moved through the Senate with little dissent and little delay.

When they finally are scheduled for a vote by the Senate, Lamm commented, “None of them have in fact engendered huge debate on the floor of the Senate….  No one has seen a pattern of inappropriate people being nominated; it is simply very slow and it really needs a full bipartisan effort to move these nominations. And quite frankly, it is becoming urgent,” said Lamm.

America has many “quiet heroes,” some of whom protect The Department of Energy’s Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. These brave men are the “Elite Special Response Team,” some of the best-trained and best-equipped forces protecting America’s nuclear weapons and material, with deadly force if necessary. These “Elite Special Response” teams are filled with professionals that have served in the military and law enforcement. It’s not uncommon to find former Marines, Army Rangers, Special Forces, and police veterans serving in various positions within these teams.

They use words like honor, code, and loyalty. They use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. And they live up to their words: They walk their talk – and one of these quiet heroes is Vincent “Vinny” Cinelli, who, while riding his motorcycle one March day in broad daylight, was run down by a hit and run driver, someone who does not live a life of honor, code, and loyalty. Vinny Cinelli was severely injured, but miraculously recovered! And today, The Insider Exclusive is here to tell his story: The true story of the magnificent courage of Vinny Cinelli and how his lawyer, Bruce Fox of the Law Firm of Fox & Farley in Clinton, Tennessee, got justice for Vinny.

And because of Bruce’s extraordinary success in the courtroom, he has earned the highest respect from citizens and lawyers alike as one of the best plaintiffs’ trial lawyers in Tennessee and the nation. It is said that “The true measure of any man is not how they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but how they stand in moments of challenge and controversy.” Both Bruce and Vinny have stood in those moments of challenge and controversy. And that’s why The Insider Exclusive salutes both of these quiet American heroes.

Bruce D. Fox is a partner and co-founder of Fox and Farley. His personal injury practice focuses on automobile accidents, workers’ compensation, products liability, hospital and nursing home injuries, and trucking litigation. In addition, Bruce has significant multi-state lead counsel class action litigation experience against a variety of defendants. Bruce is co-founder of the Energy Workers’ Legal Resource Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a law firm dedicated to helping local energy workers sick with serious lung diseases, cancers and hearing loss as a result of their work for various Department of Energy contractors.

http://www.insiderexclusive.com/component/content/article/1-shows/124-the-quiet-american-hero-the-vinny-cinelli-story-

Law firm Leon Kaye has launched an investigation into the legal implications of Skipton Building Society’s decision to scrap the ceiling on its standard variable rate.

Money Marketing first revealed last month Skipton’s move to scrap the ceiling rate on its SVR, which had meant borrowers would not pay more than 3 per cent above the base rate.

The society blamed “exceptional circumstances” for removing the ceiling.

Leon Kaye Solicitors says such clauses are normally built in to contracts to ensure the lender has some control but it is investigating whether Skipton could be in breach of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977.

Leon Kaye Solicitors’ statement says: “Those borrowers who cannot switch mortgages will be exposed to significant increases in their interest payments despite taking out an SVR for added protection against such rises in the interest rate.