Obama's Choice

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Article: "Women's Court" http://www.newsweek.com/id/237338 (5/3/2010)

With the resignation of John Paul Stevens, President Barack Hussain Obama will get to make his second Supreme Court justice nomination. Since Stevens was considered the most liberal justice on the court, Obama will not have a chance to drastically change the ideological makeup of the court with his nomination. Also, in years to come, the likely justices to retire are all the most liberal ones, so it is likely that within his presidency, Obama will never get the chance to change basic ideological makeup of the court. Instead, he will turn to other characteristics to change the court. Several of the potential choices are women with diverse perspectives. Among the potential women nominees are Elena Kagen, the first woman solicitor general and a dean of Harvard Law school, Diane Wood, a judge on the seventh circuit court of appeals, and Janet Napolitano, the secretary of homeland Security.

This article displays the Supreme Court nominee selection process. It confirms that justices are chosen carefully by the president. Once Obama makes his selection for nominee, she (or he) will have to be confirmed by the Supreme Court.

The nominee will be Elena Kagen; if confirmed, she will add gender diversity to the court. Her occupations have not included any terms as a judge, so it will be interesting to see if that affects her nomination.

Posted by Helen Anderson and Alexa Witowski