Filling Justice Stevens’ vacancy, Elena Kagan was sworn in as a US Supreme Court Justice by Chief Justice Roberts on April 7, 2010. Just the fourth female US Supreme Court justice, Kagan was President Obama’s second Supreme Court nomination since taking office.
Although Kagan has no prior judicial experience outside of clerkships, she brings her own diverse background to the Supreme Court, with a strong history in legal academia.
- Law clerk for Judge Mikva of the US Court of Appeals, DC – 1987
- Law clerk for the late Justice Marshall of the Supreme Court – 1988
- Private practice at a DC law firm – 1989 to 1991
- Assistant professor at the University of Chicago Law School – 1991
- Professor at the University of Chicago Law School – 1995
- Assistant White House counsel for the Clinton administration – 1995 to 1990
- Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School – 1999 to 2001
- Professor at Harvard Law School – 2001 to 2003
- First woman to be named Dean of Harvard Law School – 2003 to 2008
- First woman Solicitor General – 2009