Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani today covered two key bases while unveiling his Justice Advisory Committee. Announced during a press conference in Washington by former Solicitor General Ted Olson, the group serves to help assuage conservative fears over Giuliani's social liberal past while promoting his business credentials.

Giuliani, who like other front-runners for the Republican nomination is having a difficult time satisfying social conservatives that he's a true believer, used the occasion to champion conservative judges, something that has, in years past, served to rile the Republican base. Olson, in a statement, said Giuliani believes in "interpreting the Constitution the way its framers intended," while Steven Calabresi, co-founder of the influential conservative Federalist Society and another member of Giuliani's board, castigating "unelected judges legislating from the bench."

At the press conference, former assistant Solicitor General Miguel Estrada, whose nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals was held up by Senate Democrats in 2001, said Giuliani had said "in no uncertain terms" that nominations in his administration would be "quality judicial appointments" like those of current Justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito. Again highlighting an aspect of the Bush Administration that wins high praise from conservatives, former Deputy Solicitor General Maureen Mahoney said Giuliani would "pick the kinds of judges and the kind of high quality [in judicial appointments] we've seen from the Bush Administration."

Asked about Roe v. Wade, Olson, Estrada and Calabresi all denied Giuliani would implement a litmus test but reiterated his commitment to nominating "strict constructionists." "The future of Roe is a decision for the Supreme Court," said Calabresi.

Playing to business conservatives, the panel, according to a release from the campaign, will advise Giuliani on issues including "tort reform and reducing frivolous lawsuits in our country."

Giuliani's panel also includes former Solicitor General Charles Fried, former Deputy Attorney General and now PepsiCo general counsel Larry Thompson, long-time Giuliani aide Randy Mastro, who served as deputy mayor during Giuliani's terms in office, former Boston University Law School Dean Ron Cass and Dan Webb, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, an office in which Patrick Fitzgerald now sits.