Short-list for Chancery Court

According to the Delaware Grapevine, Delaware Governor Markell now has before him a short-list of potential candidates to replace retiring Chancellor Chandler.  It's indeed a short list:

1. Leo Strine Jr., a vice chancellor who could move up to chancellor
2. Sam Glasscock III, already on the chancery court as a special master, and
3. Karen Valihura, a partner in the Wilmington office of Skadden Arps.

A couple of things worth noting.  Since Chandler is a Republican, Delaware's court rules require that he be replaced by a Republican.  So, if Strine is moved into the role of Chancellor, Markell will have to appoint a Republican Vice Chancellor to replace Strine.  Glasscock and Valihure are reportedly Republicans.  Also, The Deal reported some info regarding Glasscock last year when Governor Markell was considering a replacement for Vice Chancellor Lamb - that eventually went to now Vice Chancellor Laster.  Here was the scuttlebut from last summer:

One theory making the rounds in Wilmington is that Sam Glasscock III will succeed Chandler. Currently a special master in Chancery, Glasscock was born in Erie, Pa., and grew up in Lewes, Del. He graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in history in 1975 and earned a law degree at Duke University in 1983 and a master's in marine policy from the University of Delaware in 1989. Glasscock was a litigation associate at Prickett, Jones, Elliott, Kristol & Schnee, a special discovery master in Delaware's Superior Court and a deputy attorney general in the state's Department of Justice before being appointed a special master, a position in which he hears some of his own cases, especially those involving property and trust disputes, and assists the Chancery judges on discovery and procedural matters.

We'll see.  

-bjmq