The U.S. Senate is likely to vote next week to confirm Elena Kagan to replace John Paul Stevens on the U.S. Supreme Court. Her addition as associate justice will put three women on the Court--the first time the Court has come so close to proportional gender representation, though we're still another two female justices away--and strengthen the longevity of the Court's liberal bloc, though the eventual retirement of justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 77, and Stephen Breyer, 71, still loom. We could be several presidents away from their replacements if they serve as long as Justice Stevens did, but the Court's conservative bloc is still substantially younger, on average.
I'll have more to say about Kagan over the coming week, but here's what some of us have written about her:
- About.com: Women's Issues Guide Linda Lowen has had the most to say about Kagan, writing about the future nominee's early years and writing a detailed biography explaining her personal and professional background.
- About.com: U.S. Conservative Politics Guide Justin Quinn has opposed Kagan's nomination from the start, arguing in May that Obama would be in for "a rude awakening" from the Senate. So far, no dice. He has now turned his attention to her lack of judicial experience.
- I've written about Kagan's views on abortion and Roe v. Wade.
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