Elena Kagan Confirmed for US Supreme Court

By a vote of 63-to-37, the Senate has confirmed Elena Kagan to be the next Justice to the United States Supreme Court. Kagan is only the fourth woman ever to serve on the nation's highest court,and after being sworn in on August 7, it will be the first time that three (3) female justices will sit on the Court concurrently.

Kagan, age 50, is a former Harvard Law School dean and was the Solicitor General for the Obama administration. While opponents highlighted her lack of judicial experience, her proponents countered that she has impeccable credentials and a wealth of legal experience. Moreover, the court has a long history of nominees without prior judicial experience at the time of their confirmation who nevertheless went on to become distinguished jurists, and her proponentsexpect Justice Kagan to continue in that tradition.

Kagan replaces retired Justice John Paul Stevens. Justice Stevens, a Republican nominee, was considered one of the most liberal members of the Court.