The Elena Kagan Nomination
A Third Female Justice Is Seated on the Court
On April 9, 2010, Associate Justice John Paul Stevens sent a letter to President Barack Obama informing him of his intent to retire from the U.S. Supreme Court at the end of the current term. Stevens, who turned 90 this year, was the Court’s longest-serving member, having been appointed by President Gerald Ford in 1975. Although named by a Republican, Stevens became one of the leading liberal voices on the Court, often authoring strongly worded dissents from some of the Court’s more conservative opinions. On May 10, Obama nominated Elena Kagan to replace Stevens. Kagan had served as U.S. solicitor…
