An older generation of moderate judges are sometimes steering the Fifth Circuit away from taking up more controversial legal stances, as Donald Trump’s appointees settle into their seats on the court.
The four active judges appointed by President George W. Bush—Priscilla Richman, Leslie Southwick, Catharina Haynes, and Jennifer Walker Elrod—have been key votes on major cases, including whether the full circuit should take up legal questions pursued by conservative litigants.
No judge on the circuit uniformly votes in a certain way, including by which president appointed them to the court, and this bloc often doesn’t vote together. But court watchers ...