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Trump HUMILIATED as Judge PICK Gets UTTERLY EXPOSED

2026-04-16 Entertainment
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Legal AF
Legal AF
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Description

Attorneys Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian take on Trump's latest federal court nominee, Katie Lane of Bozeman, Montana — the first judicial pick of his second term to be rated "not qualified" by the American Bar Association. Lane, currently the general counsel for the Republican National Committee, has been practicing law for less than nine years. The ABA recommends at least 12. She has never tried a case as lead counsel. Never picked a jury. Never delivered an opening statement or closing argument. Her trial experience consists of serving as fourth chair in a single bench trial where she briefly cross-examined one witness. She has first-chaired exactly one deposition. And she's been nominated for a lifetime appointment to the U.S. District Court — a trial court — in Montana. Sen. Adam Schiff pressed her at her confirmation hearing when she tried to count her time as a law clerk as trial experience: "When you're a law clerk, you observe what happens. You don't do it yourself." Brian and Shant then turn to a cautionary tale from the Ninth Circuit: Judge Lawrence VanDyke, another ABA-rated "not qualified" nominee who was confirmed during Trump's first term and recently opened a dissent with "This is a case about swinging dicks" — language that drew rebukes from 27 of his 51 colleagues on the bench. During Trump's first term, 10 nominees received "not qualified" ratings. The White House has dismissed the ABA's evaluations as "useless and partisan." Kabateck LLP: Call 1-844-74-CIVIL for a free case evaluation or visit us at https://www.kbklawyers.com/ We NEED your help! Legal AF and The Intersection podcasts are both FINAL 5 Finalists for the Webby Awards Best Podcasts! Voting is open for only open until April 16th. Show your support for our shows by voting for free for the Webby Awards, and gets friends and family to do the same! 👉 Vote for Legal AF (Podcasts – News & Politics) https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVo... 👉 Vote for The Intersection (Best New Podcast) https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVo... Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LegalAFMTN?sub_confirmation=1 Become a member of Legal AF YouTube community: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgZJZZbnLFPr5GJdCuIwpA/join Become a member of the Legal AF Substack: https://michaelpopok.substack.com/20off Follow Legal AF on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/legalafmtn.bsky.social Follow Michael Popok on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mspopok.bsky.social Subscribe to the Legal AF podcast feed here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legal-af-by-meidastouch/id1580828595 Subscribe to the Intersection with Michael Popok podcast feed here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-intersection-with-michael-popok/id1818863274 Subscribe to Unprecedented with Michael Popok and Dina Doll podcast feed here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unprecedented-by-legal-af/id1867023089 Subscribe to Court of History with Sidney Blumenthal and Sean Wilentz podcast feed here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-court-of-history/id1867022920

Top Comments (10)

@EssayOns-113 2026-04-16

That her law firm has not let her handle cases, is a sign they don't have faith in her.

79
@corronnevictorieux1 2026-04-16

Cannon wasn't "qualified" either, according to the ABA and look at all the mess she is in.

74 10 replies
@Gchycychjydtdfiyyjf 2026-04-16

Its not.about their qualifications, its about their loyalty to him.

64 1 replies
@fuddy3661 2026-04-16

Thank you both for your excellent reporting. 😊

47
@moral19D 2026-04-16

These people have to be removed from the bench once the Republicans in the Senate place them. I'm embarrassed to think this is America.

40 2 replies
@michaeltobin2172 2026-04-16

Why should a judge know anything about the law? It is all about fealty to frump.

18
@ElizabethDay-o1x 2026-04-16

Not qualified does not matter being a loyal Trump Cult member who is amoral is all that matters

14
@RLU-wt8vi 2026-04-17

How embarrassing. Never picked a jury, never sat first chair, did ONE deposition, and with a straight face, thinks she's qualified to be a federal judge????

13 3 replies
@rdw551 2026-04-17

If she has never even tried a case she has absolutely no business being a Judge. She doesn't have the experience required.

8
@jenniferaddison3829 2026-04-17

It’s crazy to me that she’d even be proud to be nominated for a lifetime position doing something she has no clue, and no business, doing. Like proudly. Love the analogy with house building too.

7

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