Honorable mentions

Honorable mentions are possible judicial appointees named in advance of a post opening by the appointing official or advisors. It is most often used with reference to the President of the United States' potential appointees to the United States Supreme Court. These names are released in order to test support in the body that ratifies appintments, e.g. United States Senate, or galvanize public support, or signal the direction public policy might take, again as a test. For instance it is common in recent years for Republican Presidents to mention strong abortion opponents, even if they appoint more moderate individuals in fact. This is widely taken as a signal of policy and continued support for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which can only be done by the Court.