A Supreme Court Pick to Impact Generations to Come

Justice John Paul Stevens has made it official.  He notified the White House this morning that he intends to retire from the Supreme Court at the end of this term after more than 30 years.

This announcement sets the stage for President Obama to name a replacement who will play a pivotal role in reshaping the federal judiciary.  

The fact is that this vacancy underscores the reality that President Obama will make a second appointment to the nation's highest court that will impact generations to come.

We've prepared a short legal memorandum on the impact of Justice Stevens' retirement. You can read that here.

While there's certain to be much debate about Justice Steven's replacement, there is one thing that is clear - President Obama is likely to name a nominee who will embrace an extremely liberal judicial philosophy. 

Make no mistake about it - this appointment really represents more than just replacing one vote on the court.  With a replacement who is likely to serve for 30 or 40 years, it's clear this replacement will have a long-term impact on judicial philosophy and likely play a determining factor in decisions for decades to come.

Once a nominee is named and the confirmation process begins, it's important that the nominee face full and detailed hearings with specific focus on the nominee's judicial philosophy including how the nominee views the Constitution, the role of judges, and the rule of law. 

That is what the American people expect and deserve.

We will be bringing you additional information about this big development in the days ahead.