The Appointment

The appointment of justices to the United States Supreme Court has always been a topic of considerable interest to academics, legal observers, and the media. This especially has been true since the controversial nomination of federal appeals court judge Robert Bork in 1987. Since the appointment of Stephen Breyer in 1994, there has been no vacancy on the Court, and the assumption is that George W. Bush may have the opportunity to appoint as many as three justices. For several years, rumors in political and legal circles have suggested that Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor are interested in retiring but have been hoping to time their departures so that their successors could be named by a Republican president. Some also have mentioned that Justice John Paul Stevens, the oldest of the sitting justices, may retire in the near future.