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Evelyn Baker Lang is an American jurist and the current Chief Justice of the United States.

Career[]

Lang is the first female Chief Justice of the United States. Seen as an extremely liberal judge, she is a non-contender for the appointment upon the death of the conservative Justice Owen Brady. However, she so impressed Josh Lyman and Toby Ziegler during her interview (which she correctly divined was merely a smoke-screen to scare the Republican-controlled Senate into confirming a less liberal nominee) that they fought for her to be placed on the short list. When Donna Moss told Josh that when her parents couldn't decide on what sort of cat to get, they got two, he saw an opportunity, and convinced Chief Justice Roy Ashland, a liberal, to resign as well. Lang was then nominated and confirmed as Chief Justice, while Christopher Mulready, a conservative, was nominated and confirmed concurrently, "balancing" the court. However, in a brief scene where the two discussed gay marriage, Lang and Mulready proved they were not perfectly situated along the liberal-conservative axis. They showed not merely familiarity with one another's standpoints, but also a profound mutual respect, which rather shocked Josh and Toby.[1]

On January 20, 2007, Chief Justice Lang administered the oath of office to President Matthew Santos.[2]

Private life[]

Lang had an abortion while in law school – a revelation that briefly threatened her nomination. The White House staffers argued that they should remove her from the short list of Supreme Court nominees due to the potential for bad publicity. President Bartlet insisted that she appear on the short list regardless, arguing that she had the right to do what she did and that his supporters, especially the women, expected him to uphold that right. Ultimately, given how much of her time they had already used, he said keeping her on the short list was the least they could do for her.

Quotes[]

If you're Malkin, you're from Virginia, so you ask Drori. I take you point by point from the doctor to the father to Casey to undue burden to equal protection back to Roe. You can't remember the question and I drink my water for a minute while you regroup
—Lang

Notes and references[]

  1. Episode 5x17 "The Supremes"
  2. Episode 7x22 "Tomorrow"



Supreme Court Justices
CURRENT
Lang (CHIEF) | Brannigan | Carmine | Clark | Dreifort | Hoyt | Lafayette | Mendoza | Mulready
PAST
Roy Ashland (CHIEF) | Joseph Crouch | Owen Brady
PREDECESSOR
Roy Ashland
Chief Justice
Evelyn Baker Lang
2004-present
SUCCESSOR
incumbent
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