The New Justice

CNN looks at a list of potential nominees to fill Justice Steven’s seat on the Supreme Court including current Attorney General Eric Holder and Diane Wood. “President Obama on Friday received his second opportunity to shape the U.S. Supreme Court when Justice John Paul Stevens announced his retirement. The president named Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the court last year. In replacing Stevens, Obama likely will nominate a candidate that would maintain the court’s ideological balance of five conservative to four liberal-leaning judges. Government sources said three candidates top an informal list at this early stage. They are Judge Diane Wood of the Illinois-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Solicitor General Elena Kagan and Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano also met privately with Obama last May before Sotomayor’s selection and remains in the mix, sources said.”