It’s official.
President Obama officially announced this morning that he’s nominating Solicitor General Elena Kagan for the vacant seat on the Supreme Court created by Justice John Paul Stevens’ retirement.
Introducing her as “our solicitor general and my friend, Elena Kagan,” Obama, flanked by Vice President Joe Biden and Kagan, said that “Elena is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost legal minds.”
Kagan, 50, is the country’s first female solicitor general and was also the first female dean of Harvard Law School.
“I am honored and I am humbled by this nomination and by the confidence you have shown in me,” Kagan said.
Later, Kagan described it as the “honor of a lifetime.”
Obama began his remarks by honoring Stevens, saying that for nearly 35 years, he was “an impartial guardian of the law.”
“While we can’t presume to replace Justice Stevens’ wisdom or experience, I have selected a nominee who I believe embodies that same excellence, independence, integrity and passion for the law,” Obama said.
He continued:
She believes as I do that exposure to a broad array of perspectives is the foundation not just of a sound legal education but for a successful life in the law.
