A new study by Richard L. Vining Jr., Amy Steigerwalt, and Susan Navarro Smelcer, confirms that, yes, ABA evaluations of federal judicial nominees tend to tilt toward more politically liberal candidates (it's discussed in a WSJ editorial today). Jonathan Adler @ Volokh has many more links, including to a NY Times editorial which concludes, ever-so-Timesishly, that the bar raters aren't being liberal enough. Earlier here (among many other mentions).