[Update 11:06 p.m. ET] President Obama will select Solicitor General Elena Kagan as the Supreme Court nominee to replace the retiring John Paul Stevens, a legal source close to the process told CNN Sunday evening.
The nomination is expected to be announced Monday at 11 a.m. ET, another source familiar with the process said.
Kagan, 50, a New York native, was widely reported to be the frontrunner for the nomination. She was a finalist for the high court vacancy last year when Justice Sonia Sotomayor was selected to replace the retiring David Souter.
Kagan would be the third woman on the nine-justice bench if confirmed.
[Posted 10:19 p.m. ET] NBC News is reporting President Obama will select Solicitor General Elena Kagan as the Supreme Court nominee to replace the retiring John Paul Stevens.
CNN is working to confirm the report.
Kagan is a former Harvard Law School dean and has never served as judge. As solicitor general, she is the Obama administration's top lawyer before the Supreme Court and has argued several high-profile cases before the justices since taking the job in spring 2009.
Kagan was a law clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall and served as associate White House counsel in President Clinton's administration.
- CNN's John King and Bill Mears contributed to this report.
Phillip,
Maybe you should elaborate a little... If you are referring to the flooding in Nashville, presidents have not gone to every flood that occurs. It doesn't mean that he hates the entire state where the flooding has occurred.
P.S. And that has very little to do with a Supreme Court Nominee...
Just as many thought, Obama would never pick a white male. Sorry, it wouldn't happen
Are you kidding me? How about a nominee with some experience sitting on the bench before promoting them to the highest court in the natiion.
Chaz in a robe.
She is white and from Harvard. She is perfect.
Finally a gay on the surpreme court!
I am so sick of the tea baggers and their phony complaints about everything Obama does.
Kagan "has never served as judge".
Uhhh, that sounds about as smart as electing somebody to the presidency who has only been a senator for 2 years, and has no executive experience.
Who does Kagan look like – #1 – Pete Rose with ear rings or #2 – Chaz Bono. Take your pick! Kagan is a big "Gay RIghts" advocate – that should not come as a surprise to anyone! One thing is for sure, the Supreme court will now have the three ugliest women alive!
She looks like an overweight Conan O'Brian
Great choice. A qualified nominee, but not of the you must be from appellate court mode. We need more non-judges on the court.
I thought it was Nathan Lane for a second.
Kagan, who was a law clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall and served as associate White House counsel in President Clinton's administration.
Nice grammar.....
America says they want a moderate, what does Obama give them?
A liberal. First black president. First one term black president.
If executive experience is being governor for 1.5 years, I'll take the two years in the Senate, 8 years in state legislature, and law practice over that..