President Obama named Elena Kagan

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President Obama named Elena Kagan, the Solicitor General, as his second pick for the Supreme Court today, paving the way for the most gender-balanced court in American history.

If she is confirmed Ms Kagan, 50, would become the youngest member of the highest court in the US and the only justice with no experience as a judge. Her appointment would also radically alter the religious composition of the court: she would be the third Jewish justice, alongside six Catholics, leaving no Protestant voice on the court for the first time.

Mr Obama today introduced her as “our Solicitor General and my friend”, emphasising his decades-long personal relationship with Ms Kagan.

“I have selected a nominee who I believe embodies ... excellence, independence, integrity and passion for the law,” Mr Obama said. “Elena is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost legal minds. She is a trailblazing leader.”

The President said that he was proud that she would become the third woman on the court and highlighted her reputation as a “consensus builder” who had a strong working relationship with the conservative members of the court and a “habit of fair-mindedness”.

Before Mr Obama chose Sonia Sotomayor last year Democrats had waited for 15 years for the chance to select a Supreme Court judge. Justices stay on the court until their death or retirement, which means that appointments to the court are among the most significant opportunities for any administration.

George W. Bush managed to shift the court towards conservatism by appointing Samuel Alito to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, a moderate.

Ms Kagan has enjoyed a stellar legal and political career. She was the first female dean of Harvard Law School and the first woman to serve as the Solicitor General, the country’s most senior legal advisor.

Her age gives her the opportunity to extend Mr Obama’s legacy for a generation, reinvigorating the court’s liberal wing by replacing the 90-year-old Justice John Paul Stevens.