President Obama confirmed this afternoon that Supreme Court Justice David Souter informed him that he is retiring from the high court when its term ends in June.
Obama interrupted a news briefing by press secretary Robert Gibbs to make the announcement and praise Souter as a "fair-minded and independent judge." Obama said he will pick someone who understands justice is not just about some abstract legal theory.
The departure of Souter, who was appointed in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, would cause the high court to lose a member of its liberal bloc. It would also give President Obama his first opportunity to name someone to the court. Obama has a keen interest in legal issues and formerly taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago and was president of the Harvard Law Review and former constitutional law professor.
Recommended For You
Before joining the Supreme Court, the 69-year-old jurist was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit, a New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice and New Hampshire attorney general. He succeeded Justice William J. Brennan.
Obama's choice to succeed Souter must be confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate. There are 59 Democrats in that chamber.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
