With the announcement of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens retirement at the end of the current term, President Obama had to put together once again a list of qualified candidates for the high court. Having just gone through the confirmation process last year with now Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the President looked no further than his Solicitor General in naming his new nominee, Elena Kagan.

A finalist for the high court's vacancy last year and the first female solicitor general, Kagan is now on the path to being the fourth woman to serve on the Supreme Court. The President had nothing but positive words for the new nominee.

"Elena is respected and admired, not just for her intellect and record of achievement, but also for her temperament - her openness to a broad array of viewpoints; her habit, to borrow a phrase from Justice Stevens, ‘of understanding before disagreeing'; her fair-mindedness and skill as a consensus-builder," President Obama said at a press conference. "Someone as gifted as Elena could easily have settled into a comfortable life in a corporate law practice. Instead, she chose a life of service - service to her students, service to her country, service to the law and to all those whose lives it shapes."

Not thought to be the easiest choice to clear the Senate confirmation process, Kagan appears to be clear of any overt controversy. Although she was recently confirmed as solicitor general by a vote of 61 - 31, only seven Republicans voted in her favor.

Throughout her career, Kagan has, for the most part, kept many of her views on controversial issues out of the public eye. In doing so, her public record lacks stances on many divisive social issues, such as abortion and gun control. Without a clear position, many on both sides of the aisle are wary of her nomination. Answering those critical of her selection critics, Obama defended Kagan.

"She's an acclaimed legal scholar with a rich understanding of constitutional law," said President Obama. "She is a former White House aide with a lifelong commitment to public service and a firm grasp of the nexus and boundaries between our three branches of government."

Having never served on the bench, Kagan's background certainly sets her apart from other recent nominees to the high court. If confirmed, the 50-year-old Kagan will become the 112th Supreme Court justice and the first in nearly four decades to have done so without having been a judge. The last justice to do so was the late William Rehnquist, first appointed by Nixon in 1972. He later served as Chief Justice from 1994 up until his death in 2005.