D.C. Circuit’s Kavanaugh Not Afraid to Say No to Obama

Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh saw the importance of saying “no” while working as associate counsel for President George W. Bush, he told students at Marquette Law School this month.

Being a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit similarly requires “backbone,” he said.

A favorite of conservatives, Kavanaugh, 51, has had no trouble saying “no” to the Obama Administration on high-profile environmental matters.

A prolific “feeder judge,” Kavanaugh’s clerks have been hired by more than half of current Supreme Court justices, both conservative and liberal.

Power Player.

Kavanaugh’s role on arguably the second ...