Give me an example.
Since none of them are currently on the S.Ct., they must follow the S.Ct's idiot decisions. So I don't know how you would distinguish a lower court judge who disagrees with those decisions from one who doesn't.
Certainly, they don't write opinions which criticize S.Ct. decisions.
Usually, the assessment that they are conservatives is made in reliance on non-judicial statements. But statements that they make outside of the context of a judicial decision really don't tell you too much about how they are going to rule in a legal case.
Sure. The lawyers over at powerline.blog have written extensively about this, and have recommended several lower court judges who are outstanding conservatives -- not the kind of people who will "grow in office," like Justice Souter, to become liberals.
One of their most recent post, naming several candidates who have are "solid [and] thoroughly vetted," is here: