The best way to assess potential nominees for the Supreme Court is not to analyze which “side” or “issue position” each nominee has taken, but to see how they approach the law — how they reason and write — in real cases as appellate judges.

By that light, Judge Raymond Kethledge of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals stands out for showing the most clear, concise, persuasive writing among the five reported “finalists” on President Trump’s list of distinguished constitutional conservatives.