United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia cited My Cousin Vinny as an example of the principle that a client can choose his own lawyer,[19] but United States Senator John Kennedy told District Court nominee Matthew S. Petersen that having seen the film did not qualify one to be a federal judge during a disastrous 2017 hearing when Petersen could not answer basic legal questions.[20] In an order dated March 5, 2019 United States Court of Appeals Chief Judge Merrick Garland cited My Cousin Vinny in support of his decision.