The Hispanic National Bar Association to Review Elena Kagan Nomination as Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, May 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) applauds President Barack H. Obama on nominating Solicitor General Elena Kagan as a candidate to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of the United States left by Justice John Paul Stevens. "President Obama has nominated an attorney renowned for her brilliance, intellectual rigor, integrity and capacity to build consensus.  If confirmed, she would also enhance the diversity of the High Court because she would be the only sitting Justice to come from outside the judiciary," said Roman D. Hernandez, HNBA National President.  As HNBA has done for past Supreme Court nominees, including Chief Justice Roberts, Associate Justices Kennedy, Breyer, Ginsburg and Sotomayor, and retired Associate Justice Souter, we will conduct a thorough review of the candidate's credentials and record before voting on whether to endorse Solicitor General Kagan for confirmation.

Elena Kagan has a strong reputation as an attorney with keen intellect and sharp arguments as U.S. Solicitor General.  Her historic nomination would make her the third woman on the current court and, if confirmed, Solicitor General Kagan would be the fourth woman in history to serve as Associate Justice. A graduate of Princeton University, Oxford University, and Harvard Law School, Ms. Kagan was confirmed for her current position by a 61-31 vote in March 2009.  Prior to becoming the Solicitor General, Ms. Kagan served as Professor of Law and later Dean of Harvard Law School.  She also served as a Professor of Law at the University of Chicago School of Law. She began her career as a law clerk to Judge Abner Mivka in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and subsequently to Justice Thurgood Marshall in the Supreme Court of the United States.  Her professional experience includes major roles in academia, the private and public sector, as she served as Counsel and a policy expert in the Clinton Administration.

"The HNBA will review and later comment on Solicitor General Kagan's background and qualifications to become the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.  For now, we urge the U.S. Senate to proceed with the confirmation process fairly and expeditiously. We anticipate that Senators from both parties will treat the Solicitor General with the respect she has earned, examine her record thoughtfully, and perform their constitutional duty to advice and consent promptly and without obstruction," commented Roman Hernandez.

The Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) is an incorporated, nonpartisan, not-for-profit, national membership organization that represents the interests of the more than 100,000 Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors, legal assistants, and law students in the United States. Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories. For more information, please visit www.hnba.com.

SOURCE Hispanic National Bar Association

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