Five From the 5th Circuit Mentioned for High Court

Southern Appeals Bench Known for Conservatism

By Lois Romano
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 19, 2005; Page A08

It wasn't all that long ago that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit was on the cutting edge of the civil rights movement, a liberal pocket of scholars aggressively enforcing the Supreme Court's demand for speedy desegregation in the Deep South.

But things have changed mightily in 20 years. Today, the New Orleans-based appellate court is considered among the most conservative in the land -- but it is still at the center of politics and history.