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More than 400 law professors are urging the Senate to vote on Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel nominee Dawn Johnsen at the “earliest possible date.”

Dawn Johnsen (Indiana University)

The professors wrote in a Feb. 1 letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that delays on Johnsen’s confirmation are “extraordinary.” Johnsen’s nomination was initially submitted in February 2009 and was returned to the White House in December. She was re-nominated in January, but has been held over four times in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Conservative senators have voiced concerns about Johnsen’s opposition to President George W. Bush’s national security policies and her past work for an abortion rights group.

“This level of obstruction is simply unacceptable,” the law professors wrote in the letter, which was posted on the panel’s Web site this week. “It frustrates the ability of executive branch agencies and departments to serve critical public needs. And it defies the deference traditionally provided Presidents in shaping their administrations, particularly with respect to sub-Cabinet level positions.”

They added: “Professor Johnsen has the experience, the integrity, and the intellect to head this critical office.”

One of the signatories, Catholic University law professor Victor Williams, submitted an additional letter to the committee, which included the editorial he wrote here.

Here are all the signatories:

Harry Hopkins
University of Alabama School of Law

Paul Bender
Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College
of Law

Michael O’Connor
Phoenix School of Law

Kenneth Salzberg
California Western School of Law

Francine Lipman
Chapman University School of Law

Robert Calhoun
Golden Gate University School of Law

Drucilla Ramey
Golden Gate University School of Law

Rachel Van Cleave
Golden Gate University School of Law

John Schick
Humphreys College Laurence Drivon School of Law

Bridgit Lawley
John F. Kennedy University School of Law

Gary Williams
Loyola Law School Los Angelos

Donald Polden
Santa Clara University School of Law

Margaret Russell
Santa Clara University School of Law

David Sloss
Santa Clara University School of Law

Beth Van Schaack
Santa Clara University School of Law

Stephanie Wildman
Santa Clara University School of Law

Eric Wright
Santa Clara University School of Law

Patricia Cain
Santa Clara University School of Law

Marina Hsieh
Santa Clara University School of Law

Christopher Cameron
Southwestern Law School

Craig Christensen
Southwestern Law School

Janet Cooper Alexander
Stanford Law School

Thomas C. Grey
Stanford Law School

Pamela Karlan
Stanford Law School

Mark A. Lemley
Stanford Law School

Miguel Mendez
Stanford Law School

Michael Wald
Stanford Law School

Kathryn Abrams
UC Berkeley School of Law

Maria Blanco
UC Berkeley School of Law

Carolyn Blum
UC Berkeley School of Law

Christopher Edley
UC Berkeley School of Law

David Oppenheimer
UC Berkeley School of Law

Paul Schwartz
UC Berkeley School of Law

David Sklansky
UC Berkeley School of Law

Floyd Feeney
UC Davis School of Law

Lisa C. Ikemoto
UC Davis School of Law

Carlton F.W. Larson
UC Davis School of Law

Carter C. White
UC Davis School of Law

Mark Aaronson
UC Hastings College of the Law

Naomi Roht-Arriaza
UC Hastings College of the Law

Carrie Hempel
UC Irvine School of Law

Richard Abel
UCLA School of Law

Grace Blumberg
UCLA School of Law

Robert Goldstein
UCLA School of Law

Clyde Spillenger
UCLA School of Law

John M. Adler
University of San Francisco School of Law

Peter Jan Honigsberg
University of San Francisco School of Law

Michael Iglesias
University of San Francisco School of Law

Rebecca Brown
University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Kim S. Buchanan
University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Mary Dudziak
University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Niels Frenzen
University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Ariela J. Gross
University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Daria Roithmayr
University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Thomas Griffith
University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Gregory Keating
University of Southern California Gould School of Law

Lawrence Levine
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law

John Sims
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law

Melissa Hart
University of Colorado Law School

Scott Moss
University of Colorado Law School

Alan Chen
University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Nancy Ehrenreich
University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Justin Marceau
University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Paula Rhodes
University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Howard Rosenberg
University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Ann Scales
University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Kris Miccio
University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Melanie Abbott
Quinnipiac University School of Law

Jennifer Brown
Quinnipiac University School of Law

Sara Bronin
University of Connecticut School of Law

Timothy Everett
University of Connecticut School of Law

Richard Michael Fischl
University of Connecticut School of Law

Bruce Ackerman
Yale Law School

Lea Brilmayer
Yale Law School

Denny Curtis
Yale Law School

Robert Gordon
Yale Law School

Judith Resnik
Yale Law School

Reva Siegel
Yale Law School

Stephen Wizner
Yale Law School

Nancy Abramowitz
American University Washington College of Law

Susan Carle
American University Washington College of Law

Angela Davis
American University Washington College of Law

Sean Flynn
American University Washington College of Law

Amanda Frost
American University Washington College of Law

Egon Guttman
American University Washington College of Law

Peter Jaszi
American University Washington College of Law

Elliott Milstein
American University Washington College of Law

Corrine Parver
American University Washington College of Law

Nancy Polikoff
American University Washington College of Law

Mary Schwartz
American University Washington College of Law

Herman Schwartz
American University Washington College of Law

Ann Shalleck
American University Washington College of Law

Robert Goldman
American University Washington College of Law

Jeffrey Lubbers
American University Washington College of Law

Juan E. Mendez
American University Washington College of Law

Binny Miller
American University Washington College of Law

Catherine Klein
Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law

Victor Williams
Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law

Neil H. Buchanan
George Washington University Law School

Phyllis Goldfarb
George Washington University Law School

Jane Aiken
Georgetown University Law Center

Peter Edelman
Georgetown University Law Center

David Luban
Georgetown University Law Center

Mari Matsuda
Georgetown University Law Center

Carrie Menkel-Meadow
Georgetown University Law Center

Naomi Mezey
Georgetown University Law Center

Cornelia T.L. Pillard
Georgetown University Law Center

Abbe Smith
Georgetown University Law Center

William L. Taylor
Georgetown University Law Center

Frank Wu
Howard University School of Law

Stephen B. Pershing
University of California Washington Center

Laurie A Morin
University of District of Columbia, David A. Clark
School of Law

Francis Catania
Widener University School of Law

Jules Epstein
Widener University School of Law

Michael Slinger
Widener University School of Law

Andrew Strauss
Widener University School of Law

Barbara Bernier
Florida A&M University College of Law

Nancy Hogshead-Makar
Florida Coastal School of Law

Thomas Hornsby
Florida Coastal School of Law

Christopher J. Roederer
Florida Coastal School of Law

Ediberto Roman
Florida International University College of Law

Leonard Strickman
Florida International University College of Law

Larry Krieger
Florida State University College of Law

Marilyn Cane
NOVA Southeastern University Law Center

Danaya Wright
University of Florida, Levin College of Law

David Abraham
University of Miami School of Law

Robert Schapiro
Emory University School of Law

William Edmundson
Georgia State University College of Law

Georgia L. Lynn Hogue
Georgia State University College of Law

Mary Radford
Georgia State University College of Law

Jason Solomon
University of Georgia School of Law

Jon Van Dyke
University of Hawaii at Manoa William S. Richardson
School of Law

Robert Hunter
Drake University Law School

Suzanne Levitt
Drake University Law School

Patrick Bauer
University of Iowa College of Law

Lois Cox
University of Iowa College of Law

Margaret Raymond
University of Iowa College of Law

Barbara Schwartz
University of Iowa College of Law

Joan Steinman
Chicago-Kent Coll of Law

Natalie Brouwer Potts
Chicago-Kent College of Law

Steven Heyman
Chicago-Kent College of Law

Nicole Martinez
Chicago-Kent College of Law

Christopher Seaman
Chicago-Kent College of Law

Carolyn Shapiro
Chicago-Kent College of Law

Margaret Stewart
Chicago-Kent College of Law

Dan Tarlockj
Chicago-Kent College of Law

Susan Bandes
DePaul University College of Law

Patty Gerstenblith
DePaul University College of Law

Steven Greenberger
DePaul University College of Law

L. Song Richardson
DePaul University College of Law

Walter Kendall
John Marshall Law School

Allen Shoenberger
Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Albert Alschuler
Northwestern University School of Law

Mary Anne Case
University of Chicago Law School

Craig Futterman
University of Chicago Law School

Richard McAdams
University of Chicago Law School

Geoffrey R. Stone
University of Chicago Law School

Kevin Brown
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Fred Aman
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

James Francis Bailey
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Patrick Baude
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Jeannine Bell
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Kenneth Dau-Schmidt
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Ann Gellis
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Charles Geyh
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Sophia Goodman
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Betsy Levin
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Ajay Mehrotra
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Aviva Orenstein
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Cynthia Reichard
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Lauren K. Robel
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

John Scanlan
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Carwina Weng
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Leandra Lederman
Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Shawn Boyne
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

Jeffrey O. Cooper
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

George Edwards
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

Robert Katz
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

Eleanor Kinney
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

Norman Lefstein
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

William Marsh
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

David Orentlicher
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

Fran Quigley
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

Florence Wagman Roisman
Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis

Joseph Bauer
Notre Dame Law School

Kent Hull
Notre Dame Law School

Jeanne Jourdan
Notre Dame Law School

Penelope Andrews
Valparaiso University School of Law

Bruce Berner
Valparaiso University School of Law

Ivan Bodensteiner
Valparaiso University School of Law

Paul Brietzke
Valparaiso University School of Law

Dan Gioia
Valparaiso University School of Law

Rosalie Levinson
Valparaiso University School of Law

D. A. Jeremy Telman
Valparaiso University School of Law

David Gottlieb
University of Kansas School of Law

Alvin Goldman
University of Kentucky College of Law

Samuel Marcosson
University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law

Cedric Powell
University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law

Robert Lancaster
Louisiana State University Law Center

Ken Murchison
Louisiana State University Law Center

Mitchell Crusto
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

James Klebba
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

M. Isabel Medina
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

Kent Greenfield
Boston College Law School

Elizabeth Bartholet
Harvard Law School

Carol Steiker
Harvard Law School

Frank Michelman
Harvard Law School

Curtis Nyquist
New England School of Law

Elizabeth Spahn
New England School of Law

Peter D. Enrich
Northeastern University School of Law

Hope Lewis
Northeastern University School of Law

James Rowan
Northeastern University School of Law

Michael Avery
Suffolk University Law School

Karen Blum
Suffolk University Law School

Eric Blumenson
Suffolk University Law School

Matthew H. Charity
Western New England College School of Law

William Childs
Western New England College School of Law

Anne Goldstein
Western New England College School of Law

Sudha Setty
Western New England College School of Law

Garrett Epps
University of Baltimore School of Law

Christopher Peters
University of Baltimore School of Law

Elizabeth J. Samuels
University of Baltimore School of Law

Clinton Bamberger
University of Maryland School of Law

Douglas Colbert
University of Maryland School of Law

Martha Ertman
University of Maryland School of Law

Mark A. Graber
University of Maryland School of Law

Susan Hankin
University of Maryland School of Law

Deborah Hellman
University of Maryland School of Law

Sherrilyn Ifill
University of Maryland School of Law

Susan Leviton
University of Maryland School of Law

Barbara Olshansky
University of Maryland School of Law

Jana B. Singer
University of Maryland School of Law

Rena Steinzor
University of Maryland School of Law

Katherine L. Vaughns
University of Maryland School of Law

Marley S. Weiss
University of Maryland School of Law

Roger Wolf
University of Maryland School of Law

Gordon G. Young
University of Maryland School of Law

Orlando Delogu
University of Maine School of Law

Catherine Grosso
Michigan State University College of Law

Kimberly O’Leary
Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Joan Mahoney
Wayne State University School of Law

Tom Romero II
Hamline University School of Law

Carol Chomsky
University of Minnesota Law School

Jennifer Green
University of Minnesota Law School

Heidi Kitrosser
University of Minnesota Law School

Gregory Shaffer
University of Minnesota Law School

Christina Kunz
William Mitchell College of Law

Denise Roy
William Mitchell College of Law

Daniel R. Mandelker
Washington University School of Law

Matthew Hall
University of Mississippi School of Law

H. Jefferson Powell
Duke Divinity School

Neil Siegel
Duke Divinity School

Diane Alarcon
Duke University School of Law

Carolyn McAllaster
Duke University School of Law

Thomas Rowe
Duke University School of Law

Eric M. Fink
Elon University School of Law

Fred Williams
North Carolina Central University School of Law

Michael Gerhardt
University of North Carolina School of Law

Bill Marshall
University of North Carolina School of Law

Gene Nichol
University of North Carolina School of Law

Kathryn Sabbeth
University of North Carolina School of Law

J. Wilson Parker
Wake Forest University School of Law

Marvin Ammori
University of Nebraska - Lincoln College of Law

Eric Berger
University of Nebraska - Lincoln College of Law

Ann Freedman
Rutgers School of Law - Camden

Sarah Ricks
Rutgers School of Law - Camden

James Pope
Rutgers School of Law - Newark

Peter Simmons
Rutgers School of Law - Newark

Frank Askin
Rutgers School of Law- Newark

Solangel Maldonado
Seton Hall University School of Law

Marc Poirier
Seton Hall University School of Law

Jon Romberg
Seton Hall University School of Law

Sedillo Lopez Antoinette
University of New Mexico School of Law

Lynne Henderson
William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada,
Las Vegas

Jeffrey W. Stempel
William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada,
Las Vegas

Lazos Sylvia
William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada,Las Vegas

Anthony Farley
Albany Law School

Nancy Ota
Albany Law School

Laurie A. Shanks
Albany Law School

Anita Bernstein
Brooklyn Law School

Susan Herman
Brooklyn Law School

Bailey Kuklin
Brooklyn Law School

Michael Madow
Brooklyn Law School

Elizabeth M. Schneider
Brooklyn Law School

Caitlin E. Borgmann
City University of New York School of Law

Rebecca Bratspies
City University of New York School of Law

Susan J. Bryant
City University of New York School of Law

Frank Deale
City University of New York School of Law

Julie Goldscheid
City University of New York School of Law

Natalie Gomez-Velez
City University of New York School of Law

Franklin Siegel
City University of New York School of Law

Vivian Berger
Columbia Law School

Barbara Black
Columbia Law School

Ellen P. Chapnick
Columbia Law School

Katherine Franke
Columbia Law School

Jack Greenberg
Columbia Law School

Jamal Greene
Columbia Law School

Elizabeth Scott
Columbia Law School

Jane M. Spinak
Columbia Law School

Kendall Thomas
Columbia Law School

Cynthia Grant Bowman
Cornell University Law School

Bernadette Meyler
Cornell University Law School

Steven Shiffrin
Cornell University Law School

George Conk
Fordham University School of Law

Elizabeth Cooper
Fordham University School of Law

Sheila Foster
Fordham University School of Law

Abner Greene
Fordham University School of Law

James Kainen
Fordham University School of Law

Robin Lenhardt
Fordham University School of Law

Russell G. Pearce
Fordham University School of Law

Martin Flaherty
Fordham University School of Law

Rachel Vorsan
Fordham University School of Law

Eric M. Freedman
Hofstra University Law School

Monroe Freedman
Hofstra University Law School

Carlin Meyer
New York Law School

Sylvia Law
New York University School of Law

Burt Neuborne
New York University School of Law

Kenji Yoshino
New York University School of Law

Derrick Bell
New York University School of Law

Sarah Burns
New York University School of Law

Norman Dorsen
New York University School of Law

Deborah Ellis
New York University School of Law

Barbara Atwell
Pace University School of Law

Steven Goldberg
Pace University School of Law

Vanessa Merton
Pace University School of Law

Richard Ottinger
Pace University School of Law

Hazel Weiser
Society of American Law Teachers

Charles Bobis
St. John’s University School of Law

Marie Ashe
Suffolk University Law School

Leslie Bender
Syracuse University College of Law

Howard Glickstein
Touro Law Center

Eileen Kaufman
Touro Law Center

Marjorie Silver
Touro Law Center

Martha McCluskey
University at Buffalo Law School

Rolf Olsen Jr.
University at Buffalo Law School

Melvyn Durchslag
Case Western Reserve University Franklin Thomas
Backus School of Law

Kenneth Ledford
Case Western Reserve University Franklin Thomas
Backus School of Law

Gary Simson
Case Western Reserve University Franklin Thomas
Backus School of Law

Robert Strassfeld
Case Western Reserve University Franklin Thomas
Backus School of Law

Peter Shane
Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

William Jordan
University of Akron School of Law

Margery Koosed
University of Akron School of Law

Christopher Bryant
University of Cincinnati College of Law

Ann Hubbard
University of Cincinnati College of Law

Bert Lockwood
University of Cincinnati College of Law

Benjamin G. Davis
University of Toledo College of Law

Rebecca Zietlow
University of Toledo College of Law

Lyn Entzeroth
University of Tulsa College of Law

Michael Blumm
Lewis and Clark Law School

Mark Peterson
Lewis and Clark Law School

Gilbert Carrasco
Willamette University College of Law

David Cohen
Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law

Anil Kalhan
Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law

Scott Burris
Temple University Beasley School of Law

Burton Caine
Temple University Beasley School of Law

Theresa Glennon
Temple University Beasley School of Law

David Kairys
Temple University Beasley School of Law

Muriel Morisey
Temple University Beasley School of Law

Jan Ting
Temple University Beasley School of Law

Mark Anderson
Temple University Beasley School of Law

Margaret deGuzman
Temple University Beasley School of Law

Susan DeJarnatt
Temple University Beasley School of Law

Mark Rahdert
Temple University Beasley School of Law

Henry Richardson
Temple University Beasley School of Law

David Sonenshein
Temple University Beasley School of Law

Edwin Baker
University of Pennsylvania Law School

Robert Gorman
University of Pennsylvania Law School

Anne Kringel
University of Pennsylvania Law School

Sarah Paoletti
University of Pennsylvania Law School

Jules Lobel
University of Pittsburgh Law School

John Simpkins
Charleston School of Law

Thomas Crocker
University of South Carolina School of Law

Patrice Kunesh
University of South Dakota School of Law

Fran Ansley
University of Tennessee College of Law

Maroney Terry
Vanderbilt University Law School

Richard Carlson
South Texas College of Law

Emily Hartigan
St. Mary’s University School of Law

Reynaldo Valencia
St. Mary’s University School of Law

Peter Linzer
University of Houston Law Center

Jim Perdue
University of Houston Law Center

Norma Cantu
University of Texas at Austin School of Law

Kristine Huskey
University of Texas at Austin School of Law

Sanford Levinson
University of Texas at Austin School of Law

Frederick Mark Gedicks
Brigham Young University Law School

Laura Kessler
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law

Darryl Brown
University of Virginia School of Law

George Rutherglen
University of Virginia School of Law

Timothy Jost
Washington and Lee University School of Law

Hari Osofsky
Washington and Lee University School of Law

Liz Ryan Cole
Vermont Law School

Stephanie Farrior
Vermont Law School

Joan Vogel
Vermont Law School

Tayyab Mahmud
Seattle University School of Law

John A. Strait
Seattle University School of Law

Kali Murray
Marquette University Law School

Paul Secunda
Marquette University Law School

R. Alta Charo
University of Wisconsin Law School

Marc Galanter
University of Wisconsin Law School

Linda Greene
University of Wisconsin Law School

Caprice Roberts
West Virginia University College of Law

Michael Duff
University of Wyoming College of Law