 During the more than three years that Haynes's nomination was pending, the American Bar Association evaluated him twice and both times rated him Well-Qualified, the highest rating given to judicial nominees.Haynes received the support of a number of prominent lawyers, including Cass Sunstein and former NAACP Legal Defense Fund chairman William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr.The Judiciary Committee approved Haynes's nomination in November 2003, but he did not receive a vote in the full Senate.