Justice Souter Will Retire

New court clerks are usually hired by Supreme Court Justices in the Spring. They then spend the summer researching cases that could be heard by the court when it convenes in October. All of the new clerks have been hired -- that is, all except those of one justice.

That justice is David Souter. Since he has not hired any new clerks, there has been a rumor going around that he was going to retire. Now it looks like the rumor is true. Anonymous sources have told NBC news that Souter is indeed going to retire, although it is not known whether he will retire soon, or wait until his replacement is chosen.

This will give President Obama his first chance to appoint a Supreme Court justice. It should be interesting to see what kind of person the president chooses to be on the court. Will it be a minority -- perhaps Hispanic or Asian? Will it be another woman or African-American?

Whoever he chooses, it is unlikely to change the balance on the court. Although Souter was appointed by Republican President George H. W. Bush and expected to be a conservative, when he took his seat on the court and the awesome weight of the position fell on his shoulders, he turned out to be one of the most liberal voices on the court.

It is expected that President Obama will choose a liberal to replace him.