Top cast22

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Dulé Hill

Charlie Young

Allison Janney

C.J. Cregg

Joshua Malina

Will Bailey

Janel Moloney

Donna Moss

Richard Schiff

Toby Ziegler

John Spencer

Leo McGarry

Bradley Whitford

Josh Lyman

Martin Sheen

President Josiah Bartlet

Glenn Close

Chief Justice Evelyn Baker Lang

Jesse Bradford

Ryan Pierce

William Fichtner

Justice Christopher Mulready

Lily Tomlin

Deborah Fiderer

Mitchell Ryan

Senator Roland Pierce

Milo O'Shea

Chief Justice Roy Ashland

Melissa Marsala

Rina

Kathleen York

Andrea Wyatt

Deirdre Lovejoy

Lisa Wolfe

Robert Picardo

E. Bradford Shelton

Did you know

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Trivia
Final acting role of Milo O'Shea.

Goofs
The characters state that there is no liberal on the court. In the first season Bartlett put Justice Mendoza on the bench, who was quite liberal. If for some reason Mendoza had left the bench, Bartlett would have appointed another liberal, so no matter what there would have been a democrat on the bench.

Quotes
Justice Christopher Mulready: So why a racial preference and not an economic one?
Charlie Young: Because affirmative action is about a legacy of racial oppression.
Justice Christopher Mulready: It's about compromising admission standards.
Charlie Young: That's bull. Excuse me. It's about leveling the playing field after 300 years...
Justice Christopher Mulready: See, this is where the liberal argument goes off the tracks. You get stuck in the past. Now, you want to come back at me with "Grading is based on past performance, but admissions should be based on potential, on how a candidate may thrive with this sort of opportunity, and studies show that affirmative action admits have a higher predisposition to contribute to society"
Charlie Young: Hang on, I've gotta write this down.

Connections
Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #22.196 (2006)

Soundtracks
Stay
(uncredited)
Written by Maurice Williams
Performed by Jesse Bradford

This episode leaves me with a good feeling. I have to admit that I had misty eyes all through the last half hour. And its difficult to claim that "West Wing" usually does that to the viewers.

The reason for my joy for this episode is two-folded. First of all there is Glenn Close, perfectly casted as a liberal judge. Second there is the message, that the gloomy impression of a Left and Right in USA, unable to communicate, is not true.

The beauty lies in the compromise that does not look like the usual compromise. Instead of victory for the mediocre, we see a victory of the genius.

This episode is also the last high peak before the series finally loses its momentum.