With one of the most polarizing presidential elections well under way, partisan differences are evident in almost every facet of policy and government. Federal district court vacancies are no exception, with Republicans, Democrats and interested third parties invoking precedent and the Constitution, among other things, as evidence of how to proceed during the last few months of President Barack Obama’s administration.

If the election was held today, California would earn 28 votes. Ohio, consistently viewed as an electorate bell weather, pales in comparison, with only 9. Since this writer lives in Columbus, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes, it’s no surprise I feel elation that Michigan, referred to in Columbus as “The State Up North,” rings in with only three.

Be that as it may, these statistics are not related to the presidential election. Instead, they refer to the number of licensed lawyers in those states whose last name is “Judge.”

The month of August represents different things to different people; some relish in the last few long, hot days of summer by the pool or lake, some soak in the playoff baseball hunt and eagerly await the beginning of (fantasy) football season--and for many, it’s time to start preparing for another year of school.

Law students, take heed: your future bosses and colleagues value character more than they respect law review or acing the bar exam. That's according to a new report issued by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System’s Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers Initiative (ETLI) at the University of Denver.