Justice John Paul Stevens, nearing 90, confirmed recently that he will retire from the Supreme Court this summer. He "concluded that it would be in the best interests of the Court to have my successor appointed and confirmed well in advance of the commencement of the Court’s next term," he told the New York Times. Stevens’s retirement will give President Obama his second opportunity to name a Supreme Court justice, but will not shift the ideological balance on the court. The following possible nominees are some of The Nation‘s top choices for a replacement.
John Echohawk, a legendary lawyer who has run the Native American Rights Fund for more than thirty years, would bring a perspective to the court that has been overlooked for 230 years.
Professor Ronald Dworkin has a strong record of ensuring the self-determination of autonomous individuals, particularly when it comes to reproductive rights.
Unlike academics or appellate judges, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is engaged in the day-to-day lives of ordinary citizens. Her broad experience includes a stint as her state’s attorney general.
