The Federal Appointments Process: A Constitutional and Historical Analysis by 
Innocent Until Nominated: The Breakdown of the Presidential Appointments Process by 
The President Shall Nominate: How Congress Trumps Executive Power by The information accessible through these links is maintained by the U.S. Senate.
Confirmation hearings for appointments to lower federal courts are not as readily accessible as hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominees. To locate hearings, follow these steps:
1. Access the ProQuest Congressional database and select the advanced search link.
2. Uncheck the box preceding every option except hearings, then choose the Congress that was in session when the individual was nominated. (If unknown, change the date menu to Any Congress.)
3. Enter the nominee's name, separating the first and last name with a /3 connector to allow for the presence of a middle initial (e.g. James /3 Gritzner). Alternatively, enter the nominee's first and last name into the appropriate Witness/Panelist search boxes.
4. Open the retrieved file and look for a link that says "Retrieve selected transcripts." Click on that link to open the full text of available hearings. For hearings before the mid-1990s, there probably will not be a link to the full text. In that situation, note the title, hearing number, date, and Superintendent of Documents (SUDOC) call number information.
5. Access the library's catalog. If the hearing's title is fairly unique, search for the title to determine if the item is available on campus. If the title isn't unique, or too many records are retrieved, consult with a reference librarian.
