Greetings, Court fans!
So, it is indeed true. Justice O’Connor has formally announced her retirement. According to the AP news reports, the following is from her letter to the President:
“This is to inform you of my decision to retire from my position as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, effective upon the nomination and confirmation of my successor. It has been a great privilege indeed to have served as a member of the court for 24 terms. I will leave it with enormous respect for the integrity of the court and its role under our constitutional structure.”
O’Connor’s presence on the Court as a moderate conservative and key swing vote in any number of high-profile cases means that her potential replacement will be highly scrutinized. While O’Connor will certainly be missed, let’s hope she enjoys retirement — she has earned it.
Ken & Kim
From the Appellate Practice Group at Wiggin and Dana. For more information, contact Kim Rinehart , Ken Heath , Aaron Bayer , or Jeff Babbin at 203-498-4400.