Few presidential duties generate the kind of passionate interest as the task of filling a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court. Such scrutiny is not surprising,

says attorney Jeffrey Levinger, co-founder of Dallas-based appellate firm Hankinson Levinger LLP, considering the kind of influence that justices wield and that they typically serve far beyond the nominating president's term. In the case of President Barack Obama's nomination today of Sonia Sotomayor, the scrutiny has been kicked up a notch for a number of reasons. For one, the opportunity arose so soon in Obama's tenure, at a time when analysts are still actively rating the new president's job performance. Add to that the president's background as a law school professor and his choice of words leading up to the nomination - the president spoke of seeking out a nominee with "empathy," which many viewed as an indication that his search would extend beyond the traditional short list of legal minds.

"These nominations are always very high-profile, mainly because the tenure of a justice lasts so much longer than the term of the president," Levinger says. "Being President Obama's first, it's watched even more carefully."

Levinger notes that Sotomayor's nomination is shrewd in that she has a proven track record, an inspiring personal background and has already been nominated by President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton for lower court positions. "Judge Sotomayor's nomination is a relatively safe thing to do because she has a proven track record," Levinger says. "I believe if this nomination is successful, then the next one may be a little more non-traditional...I'm pretty confident that she's going to be confirmed. She's already run the gauntlet twice."  To speak with Jeffrey Levinger, please contact Robert Tharp at 800-559-4534 or Robert@androvett.com.