No Georgians (so far) on U.S. Supreme Court short list
Former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears was among those considered by the White House last year for a vacancy on the nation's highest court.
But Sears' name has not appeared on short lists of possible nominees to replace Justice John Paul Stevens, who announced Friday he will retire this summer. No other local judges or attorneys have, as yet, emerged as possible nominees either.
Sears, 54, retired from the Georgia Supreme Court last June to join a private law firm, teach and work for a think tank and was among those considered by the Obama administration to replace former Justice David Souter. Sears was out of the country Friday and unavailable for comment. Last May, Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor, a federal appeals court judge from New York, to succeed Souter. She was confirmed by the Senate in August by a vote of 68 to 31.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
