"Question: Where exactly was this huge pool of Freeper-quality conservative lawyers in New York City, ready, willing and qualified to be lower-court judges, that Rudy could have appointed and ignored instead?"
Amen, brother.
Actually, I'm sure there are conservative attorneys in NYC, but the city is so damn liberal and especially when it comes to all kinds of rights in court, that I'm sure all teh judges are disgustingly liberal. The fact is Rudy was going to be liberal in many respects as NYC mayor. it's a different world than teh country at large. That is why NYC became a dangerous laughing stock. But Rudy did clean up teh city's image and crime and fiscal situation. That is where he applied his conservative leadership.
When Rudy was cleaning up the streets, the NYT was running front page stories arguing the tramps who would wash your car windshield in traffic and demand money should not be stopped because they were ex convicts! That is NYC.