Judicial conservatives have lost one of their most prominent and popular federal judges. In a stunning, unexpected announcement, Judge Michael McConnell (10th Cir.), one of the brightest, influential, and most academically accomplished federal judges (and on everyone's short list for a Supreme Court nomination) will resign from the bench effective August 31, 2009 in order to take a position on the Stanford Law School faculty. The official press release from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is available here.