Only one of President Bush's new slate of Justice Department nominees is likely to draw fierce opposition from Democrats and liberal opposition groups, says a Republican lawyer with close ties to the Bush administration.

Mr. Bush has nominated Grace C. Becker, who once clerked for conservative federal appellate Judge James L. Buckley, to be assistant attorney general for civil rights, elevating her from the deputy slot.

"She'll get hammered by posturing Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Ted Kennedy — that's my bet," the lawyer said.

Democrats reflexively tend to draw a bead on any Republican who has any job associated with civil rights and try to pound home the idea that Republican administrations don't enforce the law when it comes to protecting the rights of minorities.

The other Bush appointments announced today have had little to do with partisan politics.

The one selection that causes puzzlement in some quarters is that of Mark R. Filip of Illinois to be the No. 2 man at Justice. That means asking him to give up lifetime tenure as U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Illinois and go through yet another Senate confirmation process to fill a job that may last little more than a year.

Judge Filip gave up private law practice to accept his current judgeship.

— Ralph Z. Hallow, senior national correspondent, The Washington Times