[nonliberal]

Not to defend Miers but it would be remiss not to note that:

John Marshall was a lawyer
Roger Taney was Secretary of the Treasury (I don't think he was ever a judge)
Earl Warren was governor of California
Rhenquist was Assistant Attorney General.

[SirLinksalot]

<<<<
John Marshall was a lawyer
Roger Taney was Secretary of the Treasury (I don't think he was ever a judge)
Earl Warren was governor of California
Rhenquist was Assistant Attorney General.
>>>>>

Also, remember Justice Hugo Black, a famous textualist of the SCOTUS nominated by FDR in the late 1930's.

His experience as a police court judge was his only judicial experience prior to his Supreme Court appointment.
He went back into private practice in Alabama after a short stint on the that bench.

And to top it all, HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE KKK and actually DEFENDED a KKK member in court --- Lets see how a man like him would get by when nominated today.