Earlier today, Justice John Paul Stevens announced his retirement from the United States Supreme Court effective at the end of the Court’s term in June or July. Stevens was nominated by President Ford in 1975, and, at age 89, is the oldest justice currently serving on the court.
In a letter to the President submitted at 10:30 am, Stevens stated, “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.”
Stevens graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern Law School with the highest GPA recorded in the history of the school and served as a clerk on the Supreme Court following graduation. He has been a liberal fixture on the Court, making his departure unlikely to shift the Court’s balance dramatically. Stevens was prized by liberals for his ability to create majorities.
Justice Stevens’ retirement gives President Obama his second nomination to the Supreme Court. There had been much speculation of Stevens’ retirement since he hinted at it in interviews recently, and the White House has reportedly already begun to prepare a short list of candidates.