A former Dean of the Harvard School of Law, Justice Kagan is President Obama’s second appointment to the court in a year. Her successful confirmation is being seen as an important victory over Republicans who strongly challenged her credentials and record. She is a former legal adviser to the Clinton administration, former Solicitor General in the Obama White House, and is the only justice on the court not to have served previously as a judge.. She is also now historically the fourth woman to ever serve on the court, joining Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was confirmed almost exactly a year ago, and long-serving Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In remarks following her confirmation, Mr. Obama said he expects Justice Kagan will be a strong addition to the court because she “understands that the law isn’t just an abstraction or an intellectual exercise.” He also added “She knows that the Supreme Court’s decisions shape not just the character of our democracy, but the circumstances of our daily lives.”
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